What appeared like a little misunderstanding between an Ibadan Oba and his wife later turned out to be a victory song for them following an explosion that rocked Ibadan, the Oyo state capital last Tuesday .

It claimed some lives and several property. Governor Seyi Makinde, who visited the scene of the explosion confirmed that illegal miners who stored explosive devices in their houses were responsible for the explosion. A relation of the Oba, Mr Akerele Alabi Ogun who narrated the king’s story to Saturday Vanguard said, “before the unpleasant explosion on Tuesday, the wife of one of the Obas crowned by the Olubadan, had prepared rice for dinner, expecting her husband to arrive home. But, when the Oba arrived home, he disappointed his wife who had prepared a delicious meal of rice and tasty stew for him by saying he didn’t want rice but would prefer beans instead.

“Both the Oba and the wife dragged the issue for a long time. The wife who is aged reportedly appealed to the him saying, ‘please manage this rice for tonight, it will be a little bit late for me to be preparing beans now’. This still didn’t go down well with the Oba who insisted on having his request obeyed. The wife, not wanting to annoy her husband then agreed to cook beans and they were both sitting in the living room”.

“When the beans was half done, the Oba had started dozing off but the wife managed to keep him awake by engaging him in discussion and requested for more time for the beans to be done. But when the Oba could no longer keep himself awake, he told his wife he was going to bed and would not eat again. The wife bluntly refused, complaining why the he would make her suffer for nothing despite the fact that she advised against cooking beans. “She then said she would never allow the Oba to go to bed without eating the beans she had taken pains to prepare. As they were dragging this, there was a deafening blast which sent them to different directions. Both however managed to escape.

“When the dust settled, it was later discovered that a very large broken concrete had fallen on the same bed the Oba was to have slept on if his wife had not fought to stop him from going to bed. It then dawned on them that the insistence of the wife to ensure that her husband did not go to bed had saved his life”.

Mr Ogun, however, did not disclose the name of the Oba who is one of the Obas within the 11 local government areas of Ibadan. He said, “I was not granted permission to share the story but I think no harm has been done since I didn’t mention the Oba’s name or his local government”.

The Oba is said to be preparing for a special thanksgiving to appreciate God for sparing his life.


PDP Governors condole govt, people of Oyo

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF), under the Chairmanship of Senator Bala Mohammed, the Governor of Bauchi State, has extended its heartfelt sympathy to the government and people of Oyo State over the explosion in Ibadan, the state capital which led to loss of lives and destruction of property. This was contained in a statement signed by the Director General of the PDPGF, Hon. C.I.D. Maduabum, in Abuja, on Friday.

The governors described loss of lives and property as a result of the incident as regrettable. They said, “The Forum is saddened by this painful loss, impacting not only the Government and the people of Oyo State but also the entire country. “Our heartfelt condolences go to the families of victims who lost their beloved ones, and we pray that all who sustained various levels of injuries would have a speedy recovery.

“We commend Gov. Makinde’s swift response to the incident and are confident that he will deliver on his promise to bring justice to victims by ensuring that all parties indicted in the investigation into the matter are brought to book. “To this end, we urge the security agencies and regulatory authorities in charge of mining and explosives to step up action to ensure that this type of incident does not reoccur.

“Governor Makinde’s actions so far, especially in ensuring that those in need of medical attention receive it at no cost, demonstrate the Governor’s love and resolute interest in the welfare and well-being of the entire people of Oyo State. “The Forum assures the Government and people of Oyo State of its unwavering support.”

Ahead of negotiations for the payment of a new minimum wage scheduled to commence in April 2024, the organised labour has submitted a list of its representatives who will represent Nigerian workers on the negotiation panel which is set to be constituted by the Federal Government.

For a new minimum wage to be implemented, a tripartite committee is often set up by the Federal Government to ensure smooth negotiations.

For the committee set up by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, the tripartite committee was headed by the then Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Ama Pepple.

The committee also had as some of its members, representatives of the organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, alongside officials of government and the private sector.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that the President Bola Tinubu administration in the 2024 budget proposed the sum of N1tn to cater to minimum wage adjustment and other expenses.

Though the amount would later be streamlined, government officials insisted that the minimum wage would align with the current standard of living in the country.

Since the abrupt removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, by Tinubu during his May 29, 2023 inaugural speech which led to an unprecedented hike in cost of living, there have been calls for an increase in the minimum wage by the organised labour.

Though the government noted that negotiations were not yet ripe for a new minimum wage, it approved the sum of N35,000 monthly as wage award for workers pending the time when the new minimum wage would commence.

According to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, the new minimum way will commence in April 2024.

Speaking with our correspondent over the telephone on Thursday, the Head of Information of the NLC, Benson Upah, said though the union was not aware of the constitution of a new minimum wage panel, the government asked that the organised labour send a list of its representatives.

“The Federal Government reached out to us to send in our nominees or names of those who would represent us on the committee late last year and we did comply promptly. However, I am not aware the committee has been constituted,” Upah said.

Similarly, TUC Vice President, Tommy Etim, said the unions were worried over the late constitution of the panel. He, however, assured Nigerians that “no stone would be left unturned to effectively negotiate with the government on the National Minimum Wage.”

Earlier in December 2023, the NLC said only an amount reflective of the current economic realities would be accepted.

The NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, stated this in Abuja at the 19th edition of the NLC 2023 Harmattan School.

Ajaero, represented by the Vice President of the NLC, Mr Benjamin Anthony, said it was necessary for government at all levels to recognise that life and living conditions were getting more difficult.

Mr. Umar Babangida, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, revealed how top government officials aided Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) Ltd.’s directors in the alleged $9.6 billion scam against Nigeria.

Babangida, who was the 2nd prosecution witness (PW2) in the ongoing trial of fleeing James Nolan, an Irish national, told Justice Obiora Egwuatu of a Federal High Court, Abuja, in his testimony.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the anti-graft agency had, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/9/2022, sued Micad Project City Services Ltd. and Mr. Nolan as 1st and 2nd defendants.

Nolan, a P&ID director who also has British citizenship, was arraigned and granted a N100 million bail after pleading not guilty to the 20-count preferred against him.

However, after he perfected his bail conditions, he failed to appear in court for trial.

On September 28, 2022, Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a sister court, where Nolan was also standing another trial, revoked the bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest for jumping bail.

Justice Mohammed equally granted the EFCC’s request to continue his trial in absentia.

Nolan, alleged to be at large, is also standing trial in about eight other cases for his involvement in the $9.6 billion controversial contract awarded to P&ID Ltd.

While being led in evidence-in-chief by EFCC’s counsel, Bala Sanga, before Justice Okorowo, the witness said former President Muhammadu Buhari directed that an investigation be conducted by the commission into the signing of a gas supply and processing agreement between the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and P&ID Ltd. dated Jan. 11, 2010.

“On June 28, 2018, a letter from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice was forwarded to EFCC conveying the directives of Mr. President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, that investigation be conducted by the EFCC.

“The petition was assigned to my team and I, including Isah Suleiman Daku, Aminu Lawal, Hembafan Tortilla, and others,” he said.

According to him, we conducted the investigation by requesting documents of certified true copies (CTCs) from the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

“Upon receipt of the documents, which include a copy of the signed gas supply and processing agreement dated Jan. 11, 2010; memorandum of understanding dated July 22, 2009; memos and other correspondence, we reviewed the documents.

“And we discovered they were signed by the late Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwan Lukman, and was witnessed by the late Mrs. Grace Taiga, the then Director of Legal Services, Fed Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

“Late Mr. Michael Quinn, an Irish citizen, signed for P&ID and was witnessed by Alhaji Muhammed Kuchazi in respect of the gas supply and processing agreement. The same individuals signed the MOU.

“Our investigation discovered that Michael Quinn was the owner and operator of P&ID Ltd, which was incorporated in the British Virgin Island together with his partner, Brendan Cahill, who is also an Irish citizen.

“We further discovered that they have incorporated about 30 companies registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria.

“They also registered 20 offshore companies which they promote and operate.

“Among the 30 companies registered in Nigeria is Micad Project City Services Ltd, the 1st defendant and their representatives in Nigeria.

“In operating these companies include James Richard Nolan, the 2nd defendant in this case, who is an Irish citizen; Adam Quinn, also an Irish citizen; Lloyd Quinn, also Irish but deceased; Neil Christopher Murray, also Irish but at large; Gerald Patrick Gallagher, also known as Gerry Gallagher, is also Irish but at large at the moment.

“They are the representatives in running and operating Micad Project City Services Ltd,” Babangida revealed.

The PW2 said they wrote to the CAC requesting the incorporation document of the company.

“From the response from CAC, we got that the company was incorporated in 2005 with two shareholders and directors namely; James Nolan and Adam Quinn with 50 per cent equity each,” he said

He said in March 2007, Nolan resigned as a director of Micad Project and relinquished his shares back to the company, and Lloyd Quinn and Gerry Gallagher were appointed the directors of the company.

“In April 2007, Adam Quinn also resigned as a director of the company and relinquished his shares back to the company leaving Lloyd Quinn and Gerry Gallagher as directors.

“Lloyd Quinn had 99 per cent equity while Gerry Gallagher had 1 per cent equity of the company,” he said.

The witness said his team wrote to Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) requesting the account opening package and statement of account of Micad Project and discovered Lloyd Quinn was the sole signatory to the company’s account.

“Upon further investigation, we discovered the company had another account with Diamond Access Bank formerly Diamond Bank.

“We wrote to Access Bank Plc requesting the account opening package and statement of the account of Micad Project City Services Ltd.

“We reviewed responses from the bank and reviewed the documents and discovered that James Nolan, who had resigned as director and shareholder of the company in 2007, was a signatory to the Access Bank account.

“We also discovered Neil Murray as a signatory to the Access Bank account,” he said.

Babangida said after further review of the statement of account domicile with Access Bank Plc, the team discovered that Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) paid over N151 million into the account on May 22, 2017.

“We also discovered a payment from the account of single transaction of N50 million to Avory Chambers dated 24th of May, 2017,” he added.

He said the team confirmed through the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) that the company failed to comply with the Money Laundering and Prohibition Act, 2011 (as amended).

“From the response from SCUML, we confirmed that the company, Micad Project, in its account opening package with GTB described its business activities as a real estate development company.

“That had confirmed its status as a designated non-financial institution.

“The report further stated that the conducted search into their records discovered the company failed to declare its business activities to the Federal Ministry of Industry and Trade Investment.

“We also stated that the company did not file records of its compliant officers and its management strata.

“The company also failed to train its staff on money laundering and combating illegal acts.

“The company failed to establish an internal audit unit in compliance with Money Laundering and Prohibition Act and no report of a threshold transaction above N5 million to an individual and N10 million to a corporate entity was made.

“The investigation revealed that the payment of over N151 million into the account of the company and N50 million out of the account of the company were not reported in compliance with Money Laundering and Prohibition Act,” he said.

The witness said the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), in the course of their investigation, revealed that the company failed to comply with the tax law.

“On the strength of that, we wrote to FIRS to confirm that the company had a tax liability of over N39 million which the company failed to pay between 2008, 2009 and 2010.

“We equally wrote to Federal Capital Territory Administration to confirm the payment of the N151 million and availed us CTCs of records of terms of settlement filed as a consent judgement between Micad Project and other parties.

“We received a response from the FCTA attaching the signed terms of settlement and other evidence of payment and further review that a dispute emanated between Micad Project City Services Ltd and Crome Oil Ltd which resulted in the signing of the terms of settlement,” he said.

Babangida said all the documents relating to the investigation were forwarded to the EFCC Forensic Department for forensic analysis.

According to him, the forensic expert will be in a better position to tell the court of his findings.

Earlier, Mr Temitope Erinomo, the 2nd prosecution witness and former Principal Complaint Officer, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, said that the ministry carried out an off-site and on-site examinations of Micad Project City Services Ltd

Erinomo, who said this during a cross examination by the defence lawyer, Mr Michael Ajara, revealed that the off-site and on-site examinations “were carried out at the business addresses of the company but they were not present at the two addresses in Abuja and Lagos.”

“In my testimony, I said that we received a letter from the EFCC seeking to know the compliant status of Micad Project with the Money Laundering and Prohibition Act and to also furnish them with other information that will be relevant to the investigation that EFCC is carrying out,” he told the court.

Justice Egwuatu adjourned the matter until Wednesday for continuation of trial.

President Bola Tinubu says ex-President Muhammadu Buhari can no longer relocate to Niger Republic as he had promised.

Tinubu said this Tuesday in Abuja, during the unveiling of two books titled ‘Working with Buhari (2015 – 2023)’ and ‘Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy – 2015 – 2023 (Vols 1-5)’.

DailyTrust reports that Buhari had said he would leave for neighbouring Niger Republic after handing over as President if he is not able to get enough rest in Daura, his home town in Katsina State.

But speaking, during the launch of the books, Tinubu said his predecessor won’t be able to achieve that due to border closure.

He said: “When President Buhari was leaving office he said he would retire to Daura, far away from Abuja to enjoy his well-deserved retirement from public service.

“I remember he added that if his supporters and friends deny him of enough rest in Daura, he would run to the Republic of Niger. Well, as you all know, he can no longer escape to Niger Republic because of the border closure.

“I am therefore extremely happy to receive him here in Abuja. We are all here today to honour a great man, a patriot, a dedicated public servant who offered his best in the service of our country since he joined the army in 1962 at age 18.”

Following the July 26, 2023 coup in Niger, Nigeria had imposed sanctions, including border closure, on the military junta in the neighbouring country as a measure for the restoration of democracy, but the regime failed to yield to pressure.

Tinubu also thanked author of the book, Femi Adesina, who served him as the Special Adviser on Media & Publicity from 2015 to 2023.

He said the memoir gave an insight into what transpired in the eight years of Buhari, promising to finish off some of the things started by Buhari.

“I particularly thank Femi for using his memoirs to let us into the challenging eight years of the administration and how his principal steered the ship of State. President Buhari assumed office at a very difficult period of our national life when the economy was spiralling into recession and Boko Haram had taken over swaths of our territory in North East.

“At a point it appeared even Abuja, the seat of government would fall into the hands of Boko Haram with the bombing of the UN Building, Banex Plaza, Nyanya and other locations within the Federal Capital Territory. We cannot easily forget how our armed forces battled the Boko Haram terrorists under the leadership of President Buhari to reclaim our territory and push them to the fringes of Lake Chad where they no longer pose existential threat to our sovereignty.

“Whatever unresolved challenges faced by President Buhari in his eight years, our administration will endeavour to resolve them. As I said during the campaigns, I inherited all his assets and liabilities. Our administration will continue to work , from where President Buhari stopped, to make our country better, create a vibrant economy and secure the environment to bring more prosperity to our people.

“I must say the job of securing every inch of our country is yet to be finished. My government will stamp out the remaining vestiges of Boko Haram, Ansaru, banditry and kidnapping gangs. We won’t rest until every agent of darkness is completely rooted out.”

Jersey’s Royal Court has ruled in favour of returning stolen assets valued at £6.9 million ($8.9 million) to Nigeria.

The decision comes after Jersey’s Attorney General issued a forfeiture notice in November, asserting that the funds, deposited in a Jersey bank account, were likely misappropriated by Nigerian government officials in 2014.

The illicit transfer of funds was reportedly disguised as government-sanctioned contracts for arms purchases during Boko Haram incursions in Nigeria between 2009 and 2015.

LEADERSHIP reports that former President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power between 2010 and 2015. It will also be recalled that a lot of controversy had surrounded the purchase of weapons in the fight against insurgency with the then National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, being accused of diverting funds meant for security equipment.

Also in late 2014, a private jet belonging to the-then President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, was arrested in South Africa with $10m cash, which was allegedly meant for the purchase of military weapons.

The Jersey court found that most of the funds, initially intended for legitimate arms deals, had been diverted through foreign bank accounts and shell companies linked to the former ruling party in Nigeria.

Jersey’s Attorney General, Mark Temple KC, noted the collaboration between Jersey and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the recovery process.

Temple stressed the effectiveness of the 2018 Forfeiture Law in combating corruption and restoring funds to victims of crime. Plans are underway to negotiate an asset return agreement with the Nigerian government.

He said: “This case again demonstrates the effectiveness of the 2018 Forfeiture Law in recovering the proceeds of corruption and restoring that money to victims of crime.

“I now intend to negotiate an asset return agreement with the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

By Kingsley Jeremiah, Abuja


Nigeria may fail to produce about 138 million barrels of crude oil worth $10.73 billion in 2024 even as President Bola Tinubu sets Nigeria’s N28 trillion 2024 budget on an unrealistic oil and gas outlook that has consistently failed in the last 10 years.

While President Bola Tinubu is projecting to increase revenue from oil and gas from N2.23 trillion in 2023 to N7.69 trillion in 2024, representing an increase of 344 per cent, relative to 2023, oil production is expected to move to 1.78 million barrels per day against the current 1.250 million amidst uncertain prices.

At 1.78 million barrels a day, the country is expected to produce 649.7 million barrels of crude this year. With only 1.4 million described as a feasible average by historical analysis and stakeholders, a shortfall of about 400,000 barrels a day or 138 million barrels a year is expected.

This comes as stakeholders are warning against the continuous reliance on oil revenue as the many attempts of the government to diversify the economy faces an uphill climb.

The Guardian learnt that both the president as well as the National Assembly banked on crude oil in the budget despite being directly warned by their consultants that the economy may be playing to the gallery in 2024.

There are indications that the current foreign exchange crisis may remain going by oil outlook even as the country would be busy finding crude to pay back loans already taken from Afreximbank as well as uncleared Direct Sales Direct Purchase crude obligations even as most major oil producers are divesting into other regions.

According to Afreximbank, the 5-year facility carries a margin of 6.0 per cent per annum above the 3-month secured overnight financing rate (SOFR). The transaction structure has an embedded price balance mechanism where 90 per cent of all excess cash from the sale of the committed barrels (after debt service) will be released while the balance of 10 per cent will be used to prepay the facility, effectively shortening the final maturity of the facility and freeing cash flow from future pledged cargoes for use by Nigeria.

The data for oil production in Nigeria is consistently not transparent. In September, while Group Chief Executive of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari said Nigeria was producing 1.67 million barrels of oil and condensates per day, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that the production was 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd).

Sadly, that was all time high for the period as the production was 14 per cent higher than what the country pumped in the preceding month of August 2023. In 2023, the production was largely between 900,000 to 1.3 million bpd.

In November, data from the NUPRC showed that the country’s crude oil production dropped to 1.250 million barrels even as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) corroborated the information, stating that the production stands at 1.25 million barrels per day from 1.35 million in October 2023. In December, the production went to 1.300 million barrels per day. OPEC had also pegged Nigeria’s production quota at 1.5 million barrels per day.

Going by wave of divestment, warehousing of more oil blocks under the NNPC E & P with limited resources, continuous theft and vandalism despite surveillance contracts, fiscal and other challenges that have reduced production in deep-water to record low, projection by The Guardian showed that at best the country’s oil production may average 1.4 million barrels per day in 2024, leaving the nation with a deficit of 380,000 barrel per day out of the 2024 oil production benchmark of 1.7 million barrels per day.


In a year, the deficit translates to 138 million barrels, which if sold at $77.63 per barrel, which the price was trading yesterday and the nearest projection for 2024, the monetary value would stand at $10.73 billion. This is about three times the NNPC is borrowing from Afreximbank.

In 2013, Nigeria’s oil production stood at 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd), the 2013 budget projected 2.5 million bpd, it was 2.2 million bpd in 2014, the budget benchmark was 2.38 million bpd. The production was 2.1 bpd in 2015, the budget for that year projected 2.28 million bpd, it was 1.8 million bpd in 2016, the budget benchmark was 2.2 million bpd. In 2017, crude oil production was 1.9 million bpd but the budget benchmark was 2.2 million bpd. The production was 2 million bpd in 2018 but the benchmark was 2.3 million bpd, it was 2.1 million barrels per in 2019 but the budget benchmark was 2.3 billion bpd. In 2020 when the production was 1.65 million bpd, the benchmark is 1.8 million bpd. The production was 1.6 million bpd in 2021, the budget benchmark was 1.86 million bpd while in 2022, production was 1.4 million bpd, the benchmark was 1.88 million bpd.

In 2023 when the oil production plummeted to 1.4 million, the benchmark stood at 1.69 million bpd. In the 2024 budget, while Nigeria is currently producing 1.250 million bpd on the average, budget benchmarks considered a production of 1.78 million and oil price of $74 per barrel.

This comes at a time that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is expected to pay back on crude the $3 billion loan taken from the AfreximBank and being raised through oil traders.

The State Minister of Petroleum (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, NNPC’s Kyari and the newly constituted board of the supposed commercialised NNPC had promised that the country’s oil production would hit between 1.7 million barrel per day and 2 million bpd, most stakeholders however warned that the statements were only to score political points.

Chairman of International Energy Services Limited, Dr Diran Fawibe was not convinced Nigeria would increase crude oil production significantly in 2024 given that most oil producers are holding back their investment even as the onshore and shallow water are largely affected by massive theft and NNPC would need more resources to boost production from its exploration and production subsidiary.

Fawibe noted that there have equally not been serious prosecutions to show that the government is serious in dealing with crude oil theft even when about 90 per cent of oil is being lost because reaching the terminal and previous investigations remain a mirage.

He said while fields like Bonga, Prowei and Owowo among others have prospects, most international oil companies are putting their money in other countries as the cost of oil production escalates in Nigeria.

An insider at the National Assembly told The Guardian that the committee on the budget was warned on oil production in the 2024 budget but they declined the expert opinion, as they insisted that the nation could not do two million barrels.

The insider, who is also an oil and gas expert, said the current outlook of the oil sector in Nigeria would not deliver the project in the budget, especially when oil companies are not investing.

“It has come to a time in Nigeria when we don’t need to fool ourselves. The price and the oil production outlook are not realistic,” the source said.

Managing Partner at Kreston Pedabo, Ajibade Fashina said there may be concerns about the feasibility of oil outlook in the 2024 budget, especially considering the downward trend in oil prices.

“The implication of this development for the economy is that if the projected oil production and price are not met, it could lead to a significant shortfall in government revenue. This could impact the ability to fund critical sectors such as infrastructure development, healthcare, education, and social welfare programs. It may also lead to increased borrowing and a higher national debt burden,” he said.

Fashina insisted that the inability to diversify the economy from crude oil after many attempts remained worrisome considering that over-reliance on oil exposes the economy to volatility in global oil prices, as well as other risks such as geopolitical tensions and environmental concerns.

According to him, diversification would help to reduce the country’s vulnerability to fluctuations in oil prices and create a more sustainable and resilient economy.

Fashina said the Nigerian government has several options to diversify its revenue from crude oil to agriculture and agribusiness, manufacturing and industrial development, solid mineral, tourism, renewable energy as well as information and communication technology.

The President of the Nigerian Economic Society, Prof Adeola Adenikinju said the projection targets could be realised but OPEC quotas and insecurity relating to oil theft may stand in the way unless the government is ready to engage OPEC and get serious over insecurity in the Niger Delta.

He was worried about the oil price as the situation remains very volatile, stressing that the divestment from oil companies over climate change is a serious threat.

Adenikinju said Nigeria must prioritise diversification even within the oil industry, adding that most aspects of the oil and gas sector are yet to be explored.


Renowned energy scholar, Prof Wunmi Iledare said the price projections in the budget is closely in line with the crude oil price outlook for 2024 where multiple predictions are looking at $77 per barrel.

Iledare however said the production assumption is only wishful thinking, adding that the budget was too optimistic.

“Permit me to say that the crude oil production assumption of 1.78 million barrels per day in 2024 is daydreaming and it makes the 2024 budget rather too optimistic, in my opinion.

“Growing production from 1.250 million bpd to 1.780 million barrels per day within the next three to six months is a tall order even if the global market supports it. But the projected target seems less likely than not, but time will tell,” Iledare said.

According to him, the budget expects more contribution from the non-oil sector with an economic growth assumption of 3.76 per cent, the historical growth records do not support that growth assumption and declaring the assumption as just unrealistic is being kind.
Iledare said the budget deficit for next year would be significantly higher than as currently projected, stressing that the government must cut the fat from the budget and impose fiscal discipline to lower the budget deficit appropriately.

Former President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and professor of Economics at Babcock University, Prof. Segun Ajibola said pipeline vandalisation by restive Niger Deltans, oil theft through diversion and bunkering, disharmony between the IOCs and host communities, hostile operating environment would impact oil production.

Ajibola said: “Unless and until these challenges are fully tackled, actual oil production and export may continue to fall below the OPEC quota. And of course, this has dire consequences for the implementation of the 2024 budget as oil accounts for about 60 per cent of government revenue and 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings.”

According to him, the challenge with Nigeria’s economy is its monolithic structure with over reliance on oil.

Admitting that the fortunes of the global oil market are beyond the dictates of a single player like Nigeria, Ajibola said any adverse occurrence in the global market creates problems for countries like Nigeria and endangers the fiscal budget.

“The way out is structural reforms through diversification. Agriculture sector needs to be faithfully rebranded. The industrial sector is yearning for a new lease of life. More efforts need to be deployed to the upcoming areas such as tourism, hospitality, information technology, arts and crafts, among others to lessen the burden on the oil sector. It is high time Nigeria reworked her import substitution, export promotion and other allied strategies initiated from independence to date but with minimal results and impact on the economy,” he said.

Some social media users are currently expressing anger following reports that one Miss Folorunsho Ariyo was killed alongside Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar by bandits in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Daily Trust had reported that kidnappers dumped the remains of four victims they executed, around a former military checkpoint behind Idah Junction along the Bwari-Jere SCC Road in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Among the corpses so far identified include a secondary school student identified as the daughter of the Ekiti state-born chief legal officer of the National University Commission (NUC), Folorunsho Ariyo, and a 500-level student of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Nabeeha Al-kadriyar.

While Ariyo was abducted along with her mother and three siblings two Sundays ago, Nabeeeha was seized with her father and five of her female siblings on January 9.

They were said to be kidnapped in the Bwari/Dutse area of the territory.

In a chat with Daily Trust on Sunday, Nabeeha’s uncle had said they found the corpses of three other victims – two females and a male – when they went to pick the remains of their daughter.

Daily Trust gathered that Ariyo’s corpse was released to her family from the Umaru Musa Yar’adua General Hospital, Sabon-Wuse, Niger State, where it was deposited by the police.

The teenage girl was buried on Sunday, January 14, 2024, in Dutse Cemetery, Abuja, while the other members of the family remain with their abductors.

A community leader in the area, John Alpha Dogo, had said the bandits dragged the victims to the location on Friday night and executed them.

The situation has caused confusion at two communities –Bagye and Pashin– at Dnatan chiefdom, with residents leaving in droves out of fear.

Dnata chiefdom, carved out from Kagarko chiefdom in 2022 by the Kaduna State Government, has been under series of bandits’ attacks lately.

Meanwhile, details of the killing of Ariyo have elicited anger from social media users, with many calling for an end to insecurity in the nation’s capital.


Below are some social media reactions:

@PIDOMNIGERIA wrote: “Abuja is not safe. Repost for awareness.”

@AGINAS: “It has never been this worse in Abuja. Elections truly have consequences. Some people’s bad decision has plunged the nationa into a failed state.”

@ucheorji: “Abuja level of insecurity is alarming.”

@bamidele_oye: “A whole Federal capital territory is not safe, now imagine other states.”

@sweetbennyyy: “Yeah it’s not , last week there was an attack (kidnap )close to my house, thank God sha.”

@harrizone98 said: “Everybody is talking about Nabeeha, who is bothered about Folorunsho Ariyo, daughter of Ekiti State born National University Commission Chief Legal Officer.”

@akintollgate: “Hearing about the murder of Folorunsho Ariyo alongside Nabeeha is just devastating & heart breaking! Two promising souls with a lot of life ahead of them murdered by some imbeciles. It’s so upsetting!”

@dayoisrael: “My prayers are with the Families of Mrs Folorunsho Ariyo and that of Najeeeba Al-Kadriya + her sisters. May the soul of the departed rest in Peace and may those still in the den of captors be safely released in Jesus name. I join other Nigerians in calling on our security agencies to do their best to rescue the remaining captives and increase security in and around Abuja, and Nigeria as a whole. May God heal our LAND.”

@enyola: “Folorunsho Ariyo, Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar…And the list goes on. To register a SIM, you need a NIN but terrorists are busy negotiating over phone lines, the @PoliceNG can’t track the calls and a former minister is the one raising fund for ransom. FCT Minister is busy chasing Rivers.”

This newspaper reported that former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami, yesterday announced that a N50 million ransom had been raised for the release of Nabeeha’s five sisters.

The former minister said he spoke with “a friend and a brother” who wanted to pay N50 million from the ransom demanded by the criminals.

In a post via social media, he wrote, “Alhamdu lil Laah! I am personally not in support of paying ransom to criminals. However, since it becomes clear, we lost our daughter, Nabeeha, yesterday and the 5 remaining daughters have been threatened, as I spoke with the father on the matter yesterday and today.

“Furthermore, I spoke with a friend and a brother who offered to pay the remaining N50 million of the N60m immediately. I conveyed the account number of the father of our daughters, Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, to the friend and brother to send the money directly. Any additional amount earlier generated from yesterday, the father can use to treat the daughters and other family members, in sha Allah.”

Some personnel of the Nigeria Police Force have threatened to down tools on Monday in protest against the non-payment of fuel subsidy palliative as promised by President Bola Tinubu.

On October 1, 2023, President Tinubu approved N35,000 provisional wage award for all treasury-paid federal government workers for six months, following further consultations with the Federal Government delegation that met with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

The offer followed nationwide outcry due to hardship occasioned by the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol.

According to the presidential announcement, the gesture would run for six months from October 2023 to March 2024.

However, some police personnel said they have only been paid for one month (October) since the commencement of the provisional wage increment.

They told SaharaReporters on Sunday that their salary accounts were domiciled in First Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank and Police Microfinance Bank.

One of the aggrieved police officers who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "We were paid only once, that is the first month, being October.

"Since then, everything has gone quiet. No one is telling us anything, especially those whose pay points are in First Bank, GTBank and Police Microfinance Bank.”

"With this type of dead silence, we may be forced to take to the streets, possibly tomorrow, Monday to peacefully protest against the non-release of the salary palliative as promised by the president," another officer said.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Force, Muyiwa Adejobi failed as he did not answer calls from SaharaReporters. He also did not reply to a text message sent to his mobile line.

Pioneer ruler of Dnata chiefdom located in Tafa Town along the Abuja-Kaduna highway, Chief Bitrus James, has lamented that bandits have sacked territorial communities under his rulership.

James disclosed this during an interview with Daily Trust as he cried out that the activities of bandits have restrained his subjects from farming.

The monarch’s community was carved out of Kagarko by the immediate past Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, in 2022.

He mentioned six communities – Gadunda, Kwakulu, Jida, Isa, Kuyeri and Mpape that are currently sacked by bandits.

The chief said bandits ravaged Gadunda on December 2, 2023 and ordered villagers to leave and only to return if they paid N10 million.

He added that some herders close to the hamlet who had initially ignored the order had to flee the community when the bandits started slaughtering their chickens and other animals for consumption.

The assailants also forced the wives of the villagers to cook food for them, after raping them.

Aside from Gadunda, the other five communities experienced the same criminal activities perpetrated by the bandits as about 300 to 500 kidnappers were running various camps in the areas.

He said from December 24 till date, bandits had carried out several operations, moving from one community to another and abducting their victims at will.

“They first went to Gami village and abducted some residents, then Tafa-Pai, Tafa-Gari, as well as Pariga, where they killed three people and abducted 10 others,” James said.

“They also killed three people in Mpape, a village under Kagarko Local Government Area, not that of the FCT.”

He said N10 million ransom was paid in the case of one of the villages named Parigy, only for the kidnappers to kill one of the victims and placed another N10 million demand as a new condition to release the remaining 10 victims.

He said that in the case of Mpape, the ransom was paid but the bandits still demanded six special motorcycles, each costing N1.5 million.

He said the latest incident took place in Jidna in the early hours of Friday, where seven residents were kidnapped.

The monarch said the bandits seemed to operate in synergy with their counterparts around forests in the FCT, Niger, Kaduna and Nasarawa states, swapping their victims in different directions to make them feel that they had been taken away to far destinations.

“We need a similar synergy among our neighbouring states to achieve a desired goal. I have earmarked 100 hectares of land within my domain and urged the Chief of Defence Staff to use it for military barracks,” he stated.

“This is a very strategic location next to Abuja. We hope that our governor, Senator Uba Sani, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Chief of Defence Staff would come together to achieve this.

“My people don’t know any profession apart from farming, yet their means of livelihood is being threatened by these bandits who demand up to N10 million from a farmer who has never seen such amount of money in his lifetime. For the sake of our proximity to Abuja, this issue shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

by Tonnie Iredia

In many developing societies where the government of the day is unable to provide basic facilities to improve living standards the way out is usually to resort to the tokenism of distributing palliatives to citizens.

Nigeria adopted the option in 2015 – an option which from inception has been unable to wear a transparent and credible toga. No one including those in government had faith in Sadiya Farouq, pioneer minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development as well as her officials who were mandated to superintend the subject during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. The posture of the ministry was as if it was established to cater for friends and relations rather than the vulnerable. So much went wrong; but nothing happened to anyone on account of poor performance.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s suspension of the new minister, Betta Edu was therefore hailed across Nigeria and beyond not because Edu’s alleged infractions surpassed several allegations levelled against her predecessor but because it was the first time since the Obasanjo years that a minister was being held accountable in our clime. Indeed, it appeared that the idea of ministerial accountability in any sector was never contemplated by Buhari.

Although, he managed to sack two ministers – Sabo Nanono (Agriculture) and Saleh Mamman (Power) the real reasons for their removal were not made public. On the other hand, analysts who have closely monitored the activities of the new government of president Tinubu, may have feared that minister Betta Edu was heading to a crash because she had been driving on the fast lane for some time. She probably did not realize that provincial Calabar was not same as metropolitan Abuja.

While serving in Cross River State as commissioner for health, Edu did a few things that inevitably attracted public indignation. First, she stood by Governor Ben Ayade to pretend that the world-wide infectious COVID-19 pandemic didn’t even pass through Cross River State let alone to have a single foothold there. While this pitched the state against the relevant federal regulatory agency, she was quoted to have said that ordinary residents of the state received text messages in which they were promised millions just to claim they were Coronavirus positive. In addition, Edu herself, a medical doctor was accused of falsification of records when she authoritatively claimed that Cross River state had 105 medical doctors whereas the state, according to the local branch of the Nigerian Medical Association NMA had only 33 doctors. She therefore left Calabar as a government propagandist with little or no feeling for the sensibilities of the citizenry.

With ample charisma, she easily found her way into the leadership cadre of the ruling party first as the national woman leader before securing the lucrative portfolio of minister of humanitarian etc. Everything appeared working well for her making her to quickly develop the inclination to prioritize politics over governance. At her ministry’s first budget defence, she solemnly assured federal legislators of her robust plan to carry them along in the distribution of palliatives.

Painfully, outspoken Senator Ali Ndume did not warn her about his famous discovery that “if you see a minister or big person anywhere going personally to do something know that there is something wrong. If not, what has a minister got to do with going from state to state to distribute palliatives; they should be in the ministry monitoring activities.” Ndume’s discovery was widely publicised via a major news conference in Maiduguri in 2020.

If Edu didn’t hear Ndume, there is doubt if she never heard the public outcry by Nigerians about several allegations bothering on fraud levelled against her predecessor and officials of the ministry she inherited. She must have heard about how the ministry ‘spent’ billions of naira reportedly feeding school children during the long holidays forced on schools by the pandemic. If despite the poor public perception of the distribution of palliatives as a schedule for fraud, Betta Edu still allowed herself to also become a subject of probe, then there is more to it than meets the eye in the tendency for top office holders to brazenly abuse their offices and inflict immense pain on the poor. Our premise today is that the issue at stake is not just personal greed. In addition, there must be an inexplicable political agenda that constantly propels office holders to act exactly same way as those they succeeded.

To unravel the poser, there is the need to examine certain realities that some people dismiss as conspiracy theories, the most prominent being the expectation which Nigerian political parties have of their elected members. Unlike what happens in many other democracies, Nigerian political parties do not rely on membership subscriptions to fund party activities. Instead, party funds are usually donated by their members in government which explains why such officials automatically translate to party leaders. As we hear, many parties actually categorize amounts expected from each appointee. We can therefore not rule out the likelihood of looted funds finding their way to the parties. We are also free to imagine that reckless looting in Nigeria is perhaps influenced by the assurances of official protection promised every perpetrator. The sleaze may thus continue while another minister may soon be caught with no substantial consequences.

Even the huge awareness that happenings at the humanitarian ministry has generated may not change the situation. In fact, many more revelations of scandals in other sectors of government will be uncovered because political office holders see nothing wrong with diverting funds earmarked for development projects to themselves. In furtherance of this, the first step typical office holders take on appointment is to avoid using existing government structures. They come along with special assistants who are unfamiliar with the system and who eventually muddle up all processes. The adverse effects are many. First, those displaced by newcomers record all happenings such as tickets purchased for flights to towns without airports which become viral at the appropriate time.

The muddling of structures also produces failure to attain the purpose for which an MDA was established. For example, in 2022, the then minister Sadiya Farouq announced the decision of government to give interest-free loans to 98,000 beneficiaries in the famous TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni schemes. Allegations that the schemes were fraught with pervasive corruption were virtually confirmed when state focal persons for the intervention loans later confessed that they did not have the records of beneficiaries such as phone numbers and addresses to track them for repayment. Who then is sure that there were any beneficiaries and not just ghost names when the disbursement of loans were usually done on the eve of elections.

In other sectors, government agencies set up to promptly execute projects are hijacked by ministers and other powerful politicians. During the Buhari years, the information minister personally subjected heads of information agencies to routine ministerial control contrary to the enabling laws of the agencies which placed such heads in charge of the day to day running of the agencies. Many agencies were thus run aground. There was the popular case of the Jonathan administration in which the sparkling Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) virtually died soon after its vibrant Director General, Segun Runsewe was replaced following a squabble between him and the then supervising minister. In most cases, the squabbles happened in only the lucrative agencies. Here, the old NNPC and the NDDC were treated like units in the Petroleum and Niger Delta ministries respectively.

Another malaise that would make technocrats expose ministers lies in the practice where several public officers who abandoned their duty posts to openly support the ruling parties during electioneering campaigns are rewarded with appointments to top offices which make them to supersede their erstwhile professional superiors. Under that circumstance, experienced officers who become disillusioned deliberately leave operations to the new novices to the detriment of the service.

Some even take steps to sabotage operations which end up putting government in bad light. In summary therefore, if ministers assume duties with a mind-set to capture the finances of their ministries and agencies in the sector and in the process adopt unorthodox procedures to side-line officials by taking over the execution rather than the supervision of the execution of policies, then we shall hear more of leakages of corrupt practices. Thus, many more ministers may soon go.

Alao Abiodun


Father and children

Bandits, who kidnapped Alhaji Mansoor Al-Kadriyar and his six children, have killed one of the abducted persons, The Nation has learnt.

The deceased lady identified as Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar was killed on Friday.

She has been laid to rest according to Islamic rites on Saturday.

Nabeeha was a 400-level student of biological science, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

Others abducted include: Najeebah (500 level, Quantity Surveying), Nadheerah (300 level, Zoology)





The kidnappers had earlier contacted the family, demanding N60 million ransom, but The Nation learnt it has been increased to N100 million.

The victims were abducted on Tuesday night in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

Alhaji Mansoor’s brother, Abdulfatai, who led policemen to foil their abduction, was shot dead by the bandits.

The death of Nabeeha sparked outrage on social media platforms especially “X”.


Many users trending the hashtag — #Najeebahandhersisters — called on security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the remaining persons in captivity.

Following the new development on increase in the ransom, the family and well-wishers of the victims, have taken to social media to solicit funds towards their rescue.

A relative of the victims, Sherifdeen had disclosed: “They have contacted the family asking for N60m ransom after prolonged pleading. They freed the father but held the children captive. We have been given Friday, January 12, 2024 to look for the money.

“That is N10 million per child. To support the efforts in securing their freedom, we humbly seek financial assistance. We have provided bank details on my Facebook page.”

Reacting, a foundation @ftvf_foundation said: “Day 11: #Najeebahandhersisters haven’t been released. few hours ago, they killed and sent the body of one of these innocent kids to their parents

“The kidnappers are insisting on getting the full amount they’re demanding. We just want them back home safe and sound.”

Condoling with the family, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami wrote on his verified social media page: “Inna lil Laahi wa inna ilaiHi Raajiun! I just read about the killing of our daughter Nabeeha (400 level, ABU). I also spoke with her father on the remaining 5 of our kidnapped daughters. May Allah forgive her, rescue others & bring absolute peace in Nigeria #Najeebahandhersisters”

A former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad said: “I join fellow concerned Nigerians in urgently calling on the @PoliceNG through its PPRO @PrinceMoye1 to acknowledge and respond to the unfortunate incident involving the kidnapping of Najeebah and five of her sisters #NajeebahAndHerSisters more than a week ago.

“The information shared by a family member @Adamu_Asiya_ this morning indicated that the kidnappers have tragically killed Najeebah as a warning and demanded a N100 million ransom for the release of the remaining victims.

Meanwhile, the force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi emphasised that the police and other security agencies have been on the matter to rescue the abducted persons.

Sunday Bayo, a popular Akure-based socialite known as ‘Saybayo’, whose corpse was found last year within a residential estate, died in a brothel, the police revealed.

Mr Bayo, 43, was killed a few weeks before Christmas last year December, then by unidentified persons – shortly after he was declared missing by his families and friends.

His corpse was found inside his black tainted vehicle in a gruesome manner in the Ijapo Estate, a popular private residential area being accommodated by the rich in the state capital, Akure.

Video footage showing the remains of the deceased in a pool of blood had then circulated on social media, generating angry reactions from his colleagues who attributed his death to political assassination.

But confirming his death in a release on Friday, Ondo police spokeswoman, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, said the popular socialie died after a sex romp with his mistress at a brothel in Ijapo Estate.

Mrs Odunlami-Omisanya revealed that the long arms of detectives from the Special Weapons and Tactics Team caught up with his mistress, identified as Atinuke Adeniyi, who had affairs with the deceased before he died.

“The SWAT team, through intelligence-led policing, apprehended one Atinuke Adeniyi ‘f’ aged 29years who claimed she and the deceased were involved in a romantic affair and that on the 9th, a day before the corpse was dumped, she and the deceased made out at a brothel in Ijapo, after which the deceased started convulsing and out of fear she abandoned him and quietly left the room,” she explained.

Mrs Odunlami-Omisanya further noted that the suspect, Ms Adeniyi, led the team to the brothel where one Adeojo Ilesanmi, 50, the owner of the building, was arrested and confessed.

“He (Ilesanmi) confessed to having driven the corpse to the scene where it was found from his brothel with claims that he was afraid when he realized the deceased died in his brothel.”

She, however, said investigation was still in progress over the murder case, stressing that the suspects would be charged to court after police findings.

The federal government has reassigned the Power of Attorney (PoA) for its 40% shareholding in electricity distribution companies (DisCos) from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to the Ministry of Finance (MOFI).

According to a document viewed by LEADERSHIP, Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, issued an Order, dated January 10, directing the board of directors of MOFI to take over ownership, control, and management of all equity holdings of the Federal Government in Nigeria’s 11 DisCos.

Edun also instructed MOFI to “Assume ownership, control, and management of all equity holdings of the Federal Government. of Nigeria, as contemplated and provided for by law and/or any contract; and issue all appropriate notices, instruments, and documents which are required to give effect to this directive.”

Recall that under the statutory mandate in Section 9 of the now-repealed Electric Power Sector Reform Act, 2005, BPE was the holder of record of the equity interests of the FG in DisCos. BPE nominated various persons to be directors in DisCos and managed the implementation of the various rights and obligations of the FGN in the company.

Acting on Minister Edun’s directive, Armstrong Takang, the CEO of MOFI, in a letter to the chairman of the board of directors of the Electricity Successor Companies, stated, “The BPE nominee director on the board of directors of this Company is withdrawn with immediate effect, and share certificates of the Company issued in the name of the BPE are to be immediately withdrawn and cancelled.”

He added, “A new share certificate for all outstanding shares of the FGN in the Company is to be issued in the name of ‘MINISTRY OF FINANCE INCORPORATED’. All minutes of Board meetings, current management operational reports, extant strategic business and operating plans, management accounts, and audited financial statements going back to the 2021, 2022, and 2023 financial years should be immediately delivered to MOFI.”

Takang said he expects DisCos to “Immediately take on board and implement these decisions”.

If a soothsayer had told some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State that the Supreme Court ruling will go the way of their opponents, they might have put up a fight.

After the March 18 ballot was lost, Nasir Gawuna, the party’s candidate had given an indication that he had accepted his fate but the party filed an appeal at the tribunal and won.

Similarly, the party also emerged victorious and perhaps that set a tone of the chain of events in the buildup to the Supreme Court ruling.

In this piece, we highlight some of the loud actions of Kano APC before the shaky feet of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) stabilized in Kano.

SHARING OF ASO EBI

Aso ebi

Ahead of the Supreme Court judgement on the governorship election in the state, local chapters of APC in Kano distributed uniforms (popularly known as aso-ebi), to members for a planned swearing-in of its candidate, Gawuna.

In one of the uniforms, the inscription “Section 177” was boldly written on the T-shirt, in apparent reference to Section 177 of the Nigeria Constitution which spells out the criteria for becoming a governor in Nigeria.

The Court of Appeal had in affirming the sack of Governor Yusuf held that the governor did not meet the requirement of the section, specifically Section 177(3), which stated that a person shall be qualified for election to the office of Governor of a State if “he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party”.

The APC had argued in the petition that the governor was not a member of the NNPP as at the time of the election based on the membership register of the NNPP submitted to INEC before the election and could not have been said to have been legally sponsored by the party.

Thus, producers of the uniforms said they believe the apex court would affirm the decision of the Court of Appeal.

RENOVATION OF HEADQUARTERS

Kano APC

The Kano Secretariat of the APC was renovated barely 24 hours before the commencement of hearing at the Supreme Court. The party secretariat located along Maiduguri road, which barely had any scripture or picture on its building, now has the picture of its gubernatorial candidate, Gawuna, the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the state party chairman, Abdullahi Abbas.

Daily Trust had reported how hoodlums ransacked the secretariat barely three hours after the announcement of incumbent Governor Yusuf as the winner of the 2023 gubernatorial election.

KANO APC FORUM 99.9% ‘HOPEFUL’ OF SUPREME COURT VICTORY

The APC former Special Advisers Forum said it was 99.9 per cent optimistic of victory at the Supreme Court judgment on the Kano Governorship dispute.

The Chairman of the forum, Dr. Abbati Bako, made this known while briefing Journalists in Kano two weeks ago.

While congratulating the party’s governorship candidate, Gawuna and his running mate, Murtala Sule Garo, on their victories at the Election Petition Tribunal and the Appeal Court, he had said the judgement would definitely stand at the apex court.

“I want to use this opportunity to congratulate our duly elected Governor Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and his Deputy, Murtala Sule Garo during the last election as pronounced by the Election Tribunal as well as the Court of Appeal, we pray and hope that the Supreme Court judgment will also be in our favour, Inshallah. We are 99.9 per cent positive and hopeful of that,” Bako had said.

GANDUJE’S CONFIDENCE

Ganduje, said they were not afraid of facing the ousted governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, and his New Nigeria Peoples Party at the Supreme Court following their loss at the Court of Appeal on Friday.

The immediate past governor of Kano also hailed the judiciary for living up to expectations.

Ganduje’s praise came hours after an Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal affirmed the APC candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as the winner of the governorship election in Kano.

Delivering judgment on the matter on Friday, the three-member panel led by Justice M.A Adumeh held that Yusuf was not qualified to contest the election as he was not in the membership register of his political party.

The National Chairman of APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, had also boasted that his party would match the NNPP grit for grit at the apex court after.

Addressing newsmen at his Asokoro residence, he had said: “I thank Allah for this important judgment. We have to thank the judiciary for providing a good administration of justice despite all the distractions that have taken place since the beginning of the case. There is no doubt this is a victory for democracy. It is a victory for APC and a victory for Kano State. “This is an indication that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. Democracy we can say is matured in Nigeria. We have to thank all those stakeholders, even the political parties, even the NNPP that took us to the Appeal Court.

“There is no doubt that after the election you get into litigation. And the end is always determined by the judiciary. For Kano State, this victory is for all of us. We are fully aware of what happened during the election.

“A lot of malpractice took place and we took the issue to the tribunal. And by the grace of God, we got a fair judgment in favour of our great party, the APC. Now the government in power, the NNPP decided to go to the Court of Appeal, and this morning, the Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment of the lower court.

“By doing so, our gubernatorial candidate Dr. Nasiru Gawuna is the duly elected Governor of Kano State. But in all, probably they will go to the Supreme Court which is part of democracy. There is nothing wrong for them to go to the Supreme Court. We, too, are ready to meet them in the Supreme Court. And Inshallah, we will win in the Supreme Court as well.”

Many universities in the United Kingdom are at risk of falling into financial deficit due to the astronomical decline in international students after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ban on bringing dependants into the country.

The PUNCH reports that the Home Office of the United Kingdom announced that it had commenced the implementation of its policy banning Nigerian students and other overseas students from bringing in dependants via the study visa route.

In a post on social media, the Home Office reiterated that only those on postgraduate research or government-sponsored scholarship students will be exempted from the development.

“We are fully committed to seeing a decisive cut in migration. From today, new overseas students will no longer be able to bring family members to the UK. Postgraduate research or government-funded scholarships students will be exempt,” the Home Office said.

Meanwhile, Financial Times on Friday reported the chief executive of Universities UK, Vivienne Stern, who represents more than 140 universities, said the sector was facing the prospect of a “serious overcorrection” thanks to immigration policies that deterred international students from coming to study in Britain.

“If they want to cool things down, that’s one thing, but it seems to me that through a combination of rhetoric, which is off-putting, and policy changes . . .[they have] really turned a whole bunch of people off that would otherwise have come to the UK,” Stern told the Financial Times.

Stern’s plea came as it emerged that some top universities, including York, which is a member of the elite Russell Group, were being forced to soften their entry requirements in order to maintain numbers of overseas students.

“The government needs to be very careful: we could end up with, from a policy point of view, what I would consider a serious overcorrection,” she added.

With the £9,250 domestic tuition fee effectively frozen for the past decade, UK universities have increasingly relied on non-EU students to make ends meet, with fees from non-EU students now accounting for nearly 20 per cent of sector income.

Universities are warning privately that numbers have softened sharply this year following a series of hostile policy moves by the government, with indications that enrolments may have fallen by more than a third from key countries, including Nigeria and India.

One senior university insider told the FT that the sector as a whole had been “spooked” by data that showed the number of international students taking up places in January 2024 was “way below the bottom end of projections for everyone”.

In January, Sunak highlighted changes in government policy to stop international graduate students from bringing family members to the UK, adding the policy was “delivering for the British people.”

The government also announced in December that it was reviewing the so-called “graduate route” enabling international students to work in the UK for two years after they graduate and announced a crackdown on “low-value courses”, even though only 3 per cent are failing to meet criteria set out by the regulator.

Data from Enroly, a web platform used by one in three international students for managing university enrollment, showed that deposit payments were down 37 per cent compared to last year.

A new analysis for UK by consultants PwC found that the combination of falling international student numbers, frozen tuition fees, rising staff wage bills, and a softening in UK student numbers was leaving the sector facing a perfect storm.

“You take those things together, and you’ve got a big problem,” Stern said, warning that the government needed to wake up to the risk posed to a sector that contributes £71bn to the UK economy every year.

The PwC analysis was based on 2021-22 financial returns for 70 UUK members in England and Northern Ireland and found that about 40 per cent are expected to be in deficit in 2023-24, falling to 19 per cent by 2025-26.

However, Paul Kett, a former senior Department for Education official who now advises PwC on education, said the numbers reflected assumptions about spending and income growth that now looked highly optimistic given the policy environment.

The PwC analysis found that if the growth in international students stagnated in the 2024-25 academic year, the proportion of universities in the financial deficit would rise from 19 per cent to 27 per cent — but if numbers started to fall between 13 and 18 per cent then four-fifths would be in deficit.

On the other side of the ledger, it found that increasing fees by 10 per cent for UK undergraduates in 2024-25 would shrink the share of universities in deficit from 19 per cent to 7 per cent.

The report said the effects of declining international enrolments could be compounded by other negative shocks, such as a rise in spending growth or a fall in domestic student numbers. It warned that mounting financial pressure could force universities to cut provision and delay investment, compromising quality for students.

Stern argued three interventions were necessary to put the sector on a stable footing: uprating tuition fees in line with inflation, increasing government teaching grants and stabilising the international market by dialling down negative rhetoric and ending question marks over the graduate route.

“You can take these individual scenarios that PwC looked at, and think that any one of them could tip a large number of institutions into a very difficult position, but the problem is that lots of those things are happening at once,” she said.

Robert Halfon, higher education minister, said: “We are fully focused on striking the right balance between acting decisively to tackle net migration, which we are clear is far too high, and attracting the brightest students to study at our universities,” he added.

Nigeria’s suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, has been in the eye of the storm since her appointment in August, 2023.

The 37-year-old politician who served as the National Women Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is now facing allegations of fraud, corruption and abuse of power in her ministry.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday, suspended Dr Edu from office and ordered a thorough investigation into her indictment in the alleged transfer of N585.189m meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos states into a private account.

Before then, Daily Trust, in September, 2023, revealed how the minister made controversial appointments into non-existent entities and defunct World Bank-supported projects, as well as an independent agency.

This report unveils eight of the most controversial issues that might have marred Dr Edu’s tenure and presumably led to her “downfall”.


The N585.2m scandal

The most recent and damning scandal that led to Dr Edu’s suspension is the alleged diversion of N585.2m from the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) to a private account.

The NSIPA is the agency responsible for implementing the government’s social welfare and empowerment programmes such as the N-Power, the Conditional Cash Transfer, the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme.

A viral document signed by Dr Edu to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation revealed that the minister directed the lodgment of N585.189m into the private account of one Bridget Mojisola Oniyelu.


N3bn loot

Another scandal that rocked Edu’s ministry was the allegation of looting of billions of naira from NSIPA by herself and her cronies.

The allegation was made following the suspension of NSIPA’s Coordinator, Hajiya Halima Shehu, who was arrested and interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N37.1bn scandal.

This sparked allegations that Dr Edu was an accomplice in allegedly siphoning the over N3bn from the NSIPA account using various fraudulent schemes such as inflating the number of beneficiaries, paying ghost workers, awarding contracts to fake companies and diverting funds to personal accounts.

She denied any involvement in the N3bn corruption scandal, describing it as the handwork of fifth columnists.


Appointments into non-existent entities

The controversy over the mysterious appointments of persons into entities that no longer exist equally plagued Dr Edu’s ministry when she made appointments into defunct World Bank projects a few months after her appointment.

Daily Trust had in September, 2023, revealed how Dr Edu appointed one Olubunmi Bello as the National Coordinator of the Community and Social Development Programme (CSDP), a defunct $415m World Bank-funded intervention project that was launched in 2009 and officially closed in June, 2021.

She also appointed one Richard Romanus as the National Programme Manager of the Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operations (YESSO); another defunct World Bank-supported project.


N72.3m flight tickets to Kogi

A leaked memo dated December 20, 2023, exposed another multimillion-naira scandal involving Dr Edu. She allegedly approved funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for her advanced team to travel for an event in Kogi; a state with no airport. In the memo, each member of the embattled minister’s advanced team received N200,000 for flight tickets and N20,000 for airport taxi and other expenses, all amounting to N72.3m. Dr Edu allegedly earmarked N300,000 for her flight tickets.


Nepotism and cronyism

Dr Edu’s reputation took another beating within the ministry when sources said she faced allegations over appointments of persons who were neither government employees nor consultants engaged through a non-transparent hiring process. A source within the ministry explained to Daily Trust that, “The minister brought in friends, most of them her medical colleagues, to take over government establishments under her watch so she could retain total control.”

Another source alleged that, “Most of the appointees pushed forward by Dr Edu did not pass through the standard process of hiring or appointments, neither were they interviewed or their qualifications reviewed by a hiring panel, nor was there a terms of reference because the positions were handed by ministerial fiat.”


9 months unpaid N-Power stipends

In December, 2023, Dr Edu was struck by yet another controversy over failure to settle nine months stipends of some beneficiaries of the N-Power, another flagship programme of NSIPA.

The N-Power programme was designed to provide skills training, employment and empowerment to young Nigerians, especially graduates, who are unemployed or underemployed.

Some beneficiaries of the programme planned a protest, accusing Dr Edu’s ministry of delaying their stipends, terminating their contracts without due process and failing to provide them with exit packages or transition plans.

The rotesters also alleged that Edu’s ministry had politicised the programme and favoured some beneficiaries over others based on their party affiliation or loyalty.


Conditional Cash Transfer

Another programme that generated controversy under the leadership of Dr Edu as minister is the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme which was designed to provide monthly cash transfers of N5,000 to poor and vulnerable households upon their compliance with certain health, education and social norms.

However, the programme was criticised by some Nigerians, who questioned the criteria and process of selecting the beneficiaries, the transparency and accountability of the disbursement of the funds and the impact and sustainability of the programme.

Some Nigerians alleged that the suspended minister was using the programme as a conduit pipe to loot, manipulate and induce the beneficiaries to vote for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.


Usurpation of power

In what looked like usurping the power of NSIPA, Daily Trust had in September, 2023, revealed how Dr Edu made appointments into NSIPA.

This generated a controversy as some of the appointments, especially into NSIPA, should ordinarily be made by the coordinator of the agency.

While the first National Coordinator of NSIPA, appointed by President Tinubu, Mrs Dela Yakubu, was awaiting Senate confirmation, Edu as minister allegedly moved quickly to appoint heads of clusters under the NSIPA down to the spokesperson of the agency.

A housewife, Sa’adatu Ayuba, has asked a Dei-Dei Grade I Area Court for divorce after a 27-year marriage to Jalija, over impotence.

The petitioner got married to Jalija by Islamic law in 1997. They are blessed with five children ages 25, 22, 14, nine and seven.

She told the court, “I got married when I was 16 years old. I have never been with any other man before my marriage.

”Since two years ago, I have been having misunderstandings with him. This is because he got a girlfriend outside our marriage.

”He has not been functioning as a man. I am tired of the situation (impotence) and attitude, and want a divorce in the interest of justice.”

I’m a real man, husband reacts
In his response, Jalija said the petitioner’s allegations were false. He added that he had no girlfriend.

”I married another wife and I am performing perfectly as a man. The lady I married has one child for me, we got married in her village,” he said.

He added that he had been playing his husband’s role to the petitioner as a real man.

However, the petitioner faulted her husband’s claim, saying that the woman in question was his girlfriend.

She said that she was not aware that her husband got married to the woman.

The judge in the impotence and divorce matter is Malam Saminu Suleiman.

He gave the couple one week to settle the matter amicably and adjourned the matter until January17 for feedback. (NAN)

Since the emergence of civilian rule which marked the era of the Fourth Republic in 1999, it has featured many political dramas, twists, and turns.

One of the many political melodramas which have uniquely characterized various administrations so far is the abrupt sacking or dismissal of ministers.

For some others, they were indirectly asked to resign from office, unceremoniously.

From Olusegun Obasanjo to Umaru Yar’Adua, to Goodluck Jonathan to Muhammadu Buhari, and now to Bola Tinubu, their various administrations witnessed the sacking of some ministers.

Some of these ministers were involved in a bagful of scandals, while others were victims of cabinet overhaul. They served in different capacities before they left the scene.

In this piece, ALAO ABIODUN looks at the past ministers sacked since 1999 and why they were sacked. They are as follows:


1. Barth Nnaji – Contrary to the impression created by the then presidency under Goodluck Jonathan that the then Minister of Power, Barth Nnaji, resigned from office on his own volition, Nnaji was tactically forced to resign following a gale of allegations linking him with attempts to subvert the bidding process for the sale of Afam Power plant.

Former President Jonathan was said to have asked the minister to resign rather than sack him, to save his administration the monumental embarrassment such an action could generate.

2. Michael Aondoakaa – Aondoakaa was appointed Attorney-General and Minister of Justice by late president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on July 26, 2007.

In 2010, he was removed in controversial circumstances by Goodluck Jonathan, the acting president at the time.

3. Fabian Osuji – Osuji was dismissed by President Olusegun Obasanjo in March 2005 following his indictment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly offering N55 million ($400,000) in bribes to the National Assembly to pass an inflated budget.

4. Stella Oduah – Oduah was sacked because of the various controversies and scandals trailing her.

Oduah was removed in February 2014 as the Minister of Aviation by former President Goodluck Jonathan over corruption allegations.

Subsequently, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on December 17, 2020, filed 25 counts accusing Oduah and the eight others of money laundering.

5. Prof. Adenike Grange – Prof. Adenike Grange and the then minister of state in the Ministry of Health, Gabriel Aduku bowed to pressure and bade an unwilling farewell to the cabinet of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua over a N300m scam.

She was investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and stood trial.

She claimed that she had been misadvised by her directors. The President had reportedly directed that all unspent money in the budget be returned but it was allegedly shared by officials of the Health Ministry as bonuses.

She resigned from office on 26 March 2008.

6. Betta Edu – Embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu was suspended over alleged money laundering.

Edu was under heavy criticism after a memo surfaced where she directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.

The instructions for the payment are contained in a leaked memo dated December 20, 2023.

Edu didn’t deny paying N585m into a private account. In defence, the Minister claimed the payment followed due process.

7. Sabo Nanono[/b] – On September 1, 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the sacking of Sabo Nanono.

Nanono then was the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

[b]8. Saleh Mamman – President Buhari also sacked Nanono’s counterpart in the power ministry, Saleh Mamman.

The then-presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina said the sack of the ministers was a sequel to a minor cabinet reshuffle after an ‘independent and critical self-review,’ that helped to identify ‘weak areas’ under this government.

The two ministers — Mamman and Nanono became the first set of ministers to be sacked by the then-president since he assumed office in 2015. His first set of ministers served out his first term.

9. Caleb Olubolade – In a surprise cabinet shake-up in 2014, Caleb Olubolade who was in charge of the then Ministry of Police Affairs, was sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Olubolade was a front-runner in the Ekiti state governorship race 2014 election, under the Peoples Democratic Party. Olubolade was believed to have been fired to enable him to pursue his gubernatorial interests in Ekiti State.

10. Godsday Orubebe – Former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, was sacked from office. It was believed that Orubebe was removed to pursue his interest in the Delta State governorship election in 2015.

Back then, Orubebe was removed from office alongside three other ministers, including former aviation minister, Stella Oduah.

11. Yerima Ngama – President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 sacked the minister of state for finance, Yerima Ngama.

Ngama had declared his ambition to rule Yobe State in 2015.

12. Shamsudeen Usman – Former Minister of State, Works, Bashir Yuguda, was assigned to oversee the Ministry of National Planning following the sack of the longest-serving cabinet member, Shamsudeen Usman, who was first appointed minister by late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

13. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai – Former Education Minister, Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, was sacked from the federal cabinet in 2013.

She was the first female education minister from the northern part of Nigeria.

Before she was fired, Rufai, who became Education minister in 2011, was a member of the Governor Gabriel Suswam-led Federal Government negotiation team, which was holding discussions with ASUU officials led by the Union’s President, Nasiru Fagge, who incidentally teaches at BUK.

However, the government team could not make any headway in resolving the issues that led to the strike which is now entering its third month, until Rufai left the government, unceremoniously.

14. Amal Iyingiala Pepple — she was the Minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development until she was removed by President Jonathan.

Jonathan shocked members of the Federal Executive Council on September 10, 2013, when he announced the sack of ten members of the cabinet.

Unfortunately, Pepple was hit by the presidential axe.

15. Bukar Tijani – Bukar was sacked from office by former President Goodluck Jonathan in September 2013.

In 2023, Borno Governor, Babagana Zulum, appointed Bukar Tijani, as secretary to the state government (SSG).

He served as minister from July 2011 to September 2013.

16. Olusola Obada – Former Minister of State for Defence, Olusola Obada was in office from 2011 to 2012 and then as Nigeria’s Minister of Defence from 2012 to 2013 under the Cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Obada was sacked alongside eight other ministers in a major reshuffle in September 2013.

17. Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi – Kuchi was minister of state for power and Niger Delta Affairs, respectively between 2011 and 2013, under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

On October 30, 2012, after a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, President Jonathan directed that she swap her role with the former minister of state for Niger Delta Affairs, Dairus Ishaku. The swap, President Jonathan said, was geared toward strengthening the sectors to meet the expectations of Nigerians.

On September 11, 2013, Kuchi was inadvertently sacked as minister during a FEC meeting alongside eight others. After her sacking, many thought that would mark her final exit from politics, but she staged a come-back in late 2014 when she was appointed as Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign coordinator for Niger state.

The Secretary to the Ondo State Government (SSG), Princess Oladunni Odu, on Monday, engaged in a shouting match with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa during a cabinet meeting to discuss the burial of the former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

SaharaReporters learnt that the power tussle between the two came to a head when Odu reportedly threatened Governor Aiyedatiwa that she had President Bola Tinubu’s backing and that they could throw the governor out of office.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Ondo State Government fixed February 23 and 24 for the burial of the late governor, Akeredolu.

Governor Aiyedatiwa had fixed the dates on Monday after a state cabinet meeting which did not go without ripples over the omission of certain names from the burial planning committee.

SaharaReporters had reported that the SSG, Odu, fumed as her name was not included in the committee for the burial of the late former governor.

Insiders at the meeting told SaharaReporters: “The Secretary to the Ondo State Government, Odu engaged in a shouting match with Governor Ayedatiwa. Odu was one of those who held the state to ransom before Governor Akeredolu died. She threatened the governor (Aiyedatiwa) that he would see the consequences if he threw her out of his office."

“The Secretary who Tinubu ordered Aiyedatiwa to retain came barrelling down on the governor during a meeting yesterday. Using Akeredolu and his family to perpetuate and perpetrate scams while denying Aiyedatiwa the right to breathe then as an acting governor,” a source said.

“She told the governor that he’s an impostor and can’t do anything to her because President Tinubu is behind her to check him (Aiyedatiwa)."

SaharaReporters reported on January 5 that the body of the late former Governor of Ondo State, Akeredolu, had arrived in Nigeria from Germany.

According to a post on the X handle of the late governor’s spokesperson, Richard Olatunde, the plane conveying the body arrived at about 3:39 p.m. on Friday, January 5, 2024.

The late Governor’s remains were brought into the country from Germany, where he passed away due to leukemia

The body was received by his wife, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, his children, and siblings led by Prof. Wole Akeredolu, the immediate younger brother of the deceased.

SaharaReporters had reported that the governors from the six states of the Southwest region of Nigeria including, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, and Ekiti under the aegis of South-West Governors Forum, said they would be collaborating with Aiyedatiwa and the family of Akeredolu, to give the ex-governor a befitting burial.

The governors through Governor Dapo Abiodun who led three other South-West governors on a condolence visit to the family of the late Governor Akeredolu at their Jericho, Ibadan residence said that the Forum had communicated the same message to the family of the late governor.

The governors said that a joint committee would be set up to achieve their objective.

Those in attendance during the condolence visit included Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti and Oyo State deputy governor, Bayo Lawal, who represented Governor Seyi Makinde.

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on Federal Government to investigate the Central Bank of Nigeria over prolonged artificial scarcity of naira notes.

The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order the Department of State Services (DSS) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe suspected economic sabotage, which has adversely affected businesses all around the country.

HURIWA said that since the scarcity of the national currency resurfaced around the last quarter of last year, the CBN has failed to address it, even when it is statutorily responsible for the smooth circulation of the notes.

According to the group, CBN has failed by virtue of her legal functions to issue legal tender currency in Nigeria; maintain external reserves to safeguard international value of the legal tender; promote a sound financial system in Nigeria, and act as banker and provide economic and financial advice to the Federal Government.

HURIWA, in a statement by the National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, regretted that the CBN had become a toothless bulldog and allowed forces known to the hierarchy of the CBN to continue to sabotage the national economy by manipulating the circulation of insufficient volumes of the naira in the country, thereby frustrating the economic activities of a broad spectrum of Nigerians.

The rights group noted the fact that since the CBN had since identified the sources of the scarcity as contained in its press statement, it is shocking that over a month after the statement, the CBN lacks the political will to crush those it identified as conspirators in the scarcity of the Naira.

HURIWA said: “The overwhelming opinions of those who should know, are that the solution of cash scarcity can’t happen without the Central Bank of Nigeria implementing far-reaching measures in line with her mandate to boost the volumes of cash in circulation in Nigeria and resolve the lingering scarcity of Naira in the country,” the group said.

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The probe instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into the use of foreign exchange by some companies and financial institutions under the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele is to be spread to at least 20 banks, sources close to the commission have said.

Nigerian Tribune was reliably told at the weekend that the probe, which has seen operatives storm corporate offices of Dangote Group and some others would be extended to at least 20 commercial banks, while some merchant banks would also be investigated.

The source said that the investigation would span at least nine years, adding that commercial banks, merchant banks and some other companies are being investigated.

“I cannot say how the media got the figure of 52 companies, but they are quite a number. This is a general investigation on the use of foreign exchange in nearly the past nine years and it is not an isolated case targeted at a particular company,” a source said, adding that a whole lot of issues are being looked and the issue of forex is ringing bell because of its implication for the national economy.”

The source also added that the EFCC was looking into allocation of foreign exchange to friends and associates of Emefiele by the former CBN governor.

Another source said that the EFCC got Emefiele released to it by the Department of State Services (DSS) in October and since then a lot of investigations have gone into his activities at the helm of affairs at the CBN, adding that what is ongoing is an all-encompassing investigation into the roles of banks and financial institutions as well as heavy forex users around the time in question.

A source close to the development, however, said that the paucity of information of the matter so far was as a result of the need for the EFCC to avoid being accused of media trial and that the commission was carefully perusing all documents needed to make conclusive deductions.

“What is happening is a general investigation into forex allocations under Emefiele. It is not intended to embarrass any corporation or agency,” a source close to the commission said.

Concerning the ongoing probe of the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, HajiaSadiya Umar-Farouk, who is being investigated over alleged N37 billion fraud, a source said that the former minister may be given a deadline to appear before the commission this week.

The former minister had failed to appear before the commission all through last week on indications that she was suffering from illness.

A source who spoke on the suspended Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Hajia Halima Shehu said that the suspended CEO has been cooperating with investigators and that she has been appearing before investigators since last week.

A source close to the development told the Nigerian Tribune: “I can confirm to you that Halima, CEO of NSIPA has been appearing before investigators. She resumes in the morning and closes at the end of the day. That should continue this week until investigators are satisfied. As for Umar-Farouk, the commission may have to come hard on this suspect because she has not appeared at all. A day will be set for her appearance.”

The 2027 presidential election is three years away but political realignments have begun, mainly within the opposition camp.

This came to the fore yesterday as the group of five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors reaffirmed support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of 2027.

The five governors, who worked against their party’s candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 general election, stated this yesterday at a New Year luncheon organised by minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, at his private residence at Rumueprikom in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Members of the G-5 governors – former governors Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Seyi Makinde (incumbent governor of Oyo) – had supported President Bola Tinubu, then the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, in the 2023 election.

The event also had in attendance serving and former members of the National Assembly and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Wike.

Earlier in the day, however, a coalition of opposition platforms disclosed moves to birth what they call an ultra-political party ahead of the 2027 polls.

This was disclosed by the National Consultative Front (NCFront) which also revealed that its inaugural meeting will be held this month.

Interestingly, the Labour Party and the PDP had at different times, last year, distanced themselves from talks of a merger following Atiku’s call for a united front among the opposition leaders.

While the Labour Party presidential candidate in 2023, Peter Obi, recently declared that his party was ready to be Nigeria’s main opposition party this year, one of Atiku’s spokesmen, Daniel Bwala, stated that his boss will contest the 2027 election, warning that the opposition must unite behind him if they intend to unseat the APC.

But in a dramatic twist, the Coalition for United Political Parties (CUPP) yesterday rejected Atiku as the rallying point of the opposition parties in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general election.

Pundits and analysts had blamed divisions for the opposition’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election.
Recall that major PDP figures had split from the part ahead of the 2023 polls. Obi had switched to the Labour Party; Dr Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), while the G-5 governors supported the rival APC. Atiku retained what was left.

This was a clear contrast from the 2013 merger of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a part of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) which defeated a hitherto behemoth PDP in 2015.

However, the National Consultative Front (NCFront), yesterday, said the opposition is working to initiate a new ultra-mega political party to rescue Nigeria from the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The group, led by former presidential candidate, Prof Pat Utomi, said while it was aware of the dissenting views so far, a meeting held over the weekend (Saturday) among key opposition leaders showed that they were poised towards forming a mega party.

It added that a Merger Facilitation Group had been put in place to ensure the process succeeds.
The group issued a statement debunking insinuations that Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso were already jostling to run for the presidency in the next round of general elections in 2027.
Acting spokesperson of NCFront, Mallam Hamisu San Turaki, said consultations are ongoing on how to streamline and strengthen their political forces to be able to rescue the country from the dangerous slide into misrule and anarchy foisted by the APC.

Turaki, in the statement yesterday, said the “current erroneous view in the media is a panicky and mischievous agenda of hatchet jobbers to divide the opposition and frustrate the merger proposal for leading opposition parties mooted by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar before it takes off, knowing fully well that the unity of the opposition in Nigeria will, without stress, defeat and overthrow the present flip-flop governance and wrongheaded policies of the present Tinubu-led APC administration.

“For the avoidance of doubt, leading opposition leaders and parties in Nigeria are at the moment not focused on contesting for political offices in 2027 but presently holding consultations on how to streamline and strengthen their political forces to be able to rescue the country from the dangerous slide into misrule and anarchy foisted by the All Progressives Congress-led federal government as well as its exploitative economic policies which have landed millions of households and citizens in Nigeria into abject poverty and penury, making the renewed hope mantra of the Tinubu government a mere consolidation of the rudderless policies of despair and hopelessness of the Buhari regime.”

Throwing more light on the unfolding realignment, Turaki told LEADERSHIP that the organisers reached out to all the stakeholders, including key leaders of PDP, Labour Party and NNPP.
He revealed that at the meeting held in Abuja over the weekend, the various party leaders gave their blessing before the statement unveiling their intention was issued.

“We had a meeting with all of them. Peter Obi was part of the meeting. Even some key members of PDP also all agreed to it. We held the meeting yesterday (Saturday) in Abuja.
“In forming a thing like this, we are also aware of the challenges but we have made good progress,” he said.

While he noted the dissenting posture from some members in the opposition party towards the emergence of a united opposition political front, he stressed that genuine lovers of democracy and good governance are already aligned with the drive to rescue Nigeria.

He, however, noted that they are aware of other real concerns from those who have good intentions and would be open to listening to proactive measures to make the union better.

He maintained that the inaugural meeting will be held before the end of the month.
When contacted, the camp of former Vice President Atiku admitted that its principal was in consonance with the position of NCFront.

This was confirmed to LEADERSHIP by Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, who replied “Yes!”, when asked if the platform’s position reflected that of the former presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, the G-5 governors, who worked against PDP in the 2023 general election, reactivated their machinery ahead of the 2027 election at the New Year luncheon organised by Wike in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
However, speaking during the luncheon, former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, who reaffirmed Wike as the leader of the group, pledged the group’s continuous support to the presidency of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Ortom said: “All of us are here today to support Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as leader of the G-5. We are here because we recognise Wike as the leader of G-5. I am speaking on behalf of G-5 governors.

“Governor Ikpeazu is not here because his son is getting married in Lagos today. We have to sacrifice that event with his consent, so that we will be able to honour this invitation, even though belated.

“Governor Seyi Makinde, who is the youth leader of the G-5 governors is in the United States on vacation with his family. Of course, you know if he were in Nigeria, he would have done everything to be around because he respects Wike.

“Today, the G-5 governors are going to talk about President Tinubu, Wike and Rivers State. Tinubu, we are very proud of you. The demand of G-5 governors was that a Southerner should emerge as president. All of us supported Tinubu during the election and we are going to continue to support his presidency.”
On his part, Wike admonished his supporters not to be pained about the sacrifices they made during the 2023 election in the state which produced Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The FCT minister, who has been locked in a battle of wits with his successor and estranged political godson, Fubara, had during a private visit to the residence of the APC national vice chairman, South-South, Chief Victor Giadom, at Bera community in Gokana local government area of the state, boasted that the true political leaders of the state would be unveiled in due time.

At yesterday’s luncheon Wike said, “It is not everything you invest in that you will reap in. People establish a company and it crumbles. They have to be alive to make sure the companies stay.

“So, you cannot say I did this and that. God knows why things happen the way they happen. But what is important is life; to God be the glory. Life continues for us to see what is happening. When a man is dead, he doesn’t know what is happening.

“So, you should be able to advise your children, you should be able to advise your friends. I was alive and this is what I saw; don’t allow yourself to be a victim.”
Also in attendance at the gathering were the acting PDP chairman in the state, Hon. Chukwuemeka Aaron, and the chairman, caretaker committee chairman of the APC, Chief Tony Okocha, as well as chairmen of the 23 local government areas of the state.

The faceoff between governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and his immediate-predecessor and benefactor, Nyesom Wike, adds to a seeming political culture of intense friction between hitherto godfather and their sons in Nigeria since 1999.

This trend, which has transcended almost all the geo-political regions of the country, has remained constant in every constitutionally-mandated power transition season since the return to democracy.

While the Rivers scenario, reputed as the first and fastest falling out between successor and predecessor, indications have emerged that some other states are on the verge of having similar political friction.

Recall that stakeholders had strongly urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the Fubara/Wike rift spite of the intra-party nature of the tussle. While Wike, a serving minister, and Fubara are of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) extraction, Tinubu is of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, the intervention of the president, by way of eight directives signed by Fubara and Wike, has been criticised as being void in light of the legal and constitutional implications, one of which is the status of the 27 lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the APC.

Nevertheless, checks by LEADERSHIP Sunday revealed that in most of the major frictions (with few exceptions), which border on control of political structure in the state serving governors prevailed, in spite of interventions by the presidency, party and other stakeholders.

While incumbents cite the overbearing influence of their predecessors, the godfathers cite disloyalty of their godsons.


Wamakko/Tambuwal (Sokoto)

In 2015, former governor, Aliyu Wamakko, now senator, supported then House of Representatives speaker, Hon Aminu Tambuwal, to be governor of Sokoto State. They had both dumped the ruling PDP for the new formed APC which was sweeping through the polity.

However, after a bit of a battle with his predecessor, the former speaker returned to the PDP. While Tambuwal won the 2019 election by a slim margin to serve a second term, his party, the PDP lost the governorship election in 2023, allowing Wamakko to retain control of the state.

Interestingly, Wamakko had also fought his predecessor, Attahiru Bafarawa for the political structure of the state.


Akpabio vs Udom (Akwa Ibom)

Also in 2015, then governor and now senate president, Godswill Akpabio, solely picked Udom Emmanuel, his then commissioner, as his successor in Akwa Ibom State. But the political romance collapsed a little over a year later, forcing Akpabio to leave the PDP for the APC.

Udom won his re-election in 2019 and successfully transferred power to his preferred successor in 2023.

While Akpabio continued to enjoy national positions, as minister and senate president, he has not been able to regain control of the state.


Obi vs Obiano (Anambra)

Former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi also had a falling out with his successor, Willie Obiano, whom he supported to win office in 2014. They were both in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

However, their political alliance soon failed. Obi left APGA and joined the PDP.

During the 2017 election, Obi produced the PDP candidate, Oseloka Obaze, who could not stop Obiano’s quest for a second term in office.


The battle of the Orjis (Abia)

In 2007, then governor, Orji Uzor Kalu ensured that Theodore Orji succeeded him even though the latter was detained in prison over alleged financial crimes. That was a first in Nigeria’s political history.

But it showed how powerful Kalu was at the time, being the presidential candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), which he formed at the time.

Theodore Orji was Chief of Staff to Kalu. But the arrangement eventually collapsed as Orji left the PPA for the PDP in 2010. He contested and won a second term.


Nnamani vs Chime (Enugu)

Just like in Abia, the 2007 governorship election produced Barr Sullivan Chime, who was backed by then governor, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani, the influential leader of the Ebeano political dynasty.

Chime was the attorney-general and commissioner for Justice in Enugu State at the time.

Against most speculations, Nnamani settled for a quiet and unassuming Chime. However, months after he became governor, he banned the Ebeano group, starting off a political battle which saw his predecessor failing to retain his senatorial mandate and almost being sent on exile from the state.

Chime secured his second term and installed Rt Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as his successor in 2015 who also handed over power to the incumbent Emeka Mbah. Interestingly, Nnamani had also fought off his political godfather, Senator Jim Nwobodo in the state.


Kwankwaso vs Ganduje (Kano)

Perhaps the most intense of such battles was between Rabiu Kwankwaso and Umar Ganduje. They were a team so formidable that it seemed one could win the governorship election without the other. It was such that after they, as governor (Kwankwaso) and deputy (Ganduje), could not secure a second term in 2003 cycle, Kwankwaso, upon being appointed as the minister of Defence by Olusegun Obasanjo, took Ganduje along to Abuja.

In 2011, Kwankwaso sought a second term with Ganduje as his deputy and won. By 2015, after they had dumped the PDP for the APC, it seemed convenient for Kwankwaso to hand over power to Ganduje. But months after Ganduje, the romance broke down, leading to immense political casualties, especially, the former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido, a Kwankwaso ally, losing his throne.

The battle was so fierce that not even the intervention of former President Muhammadu Buhari could reconcile them. Ganduje narrowly won his reelection bid in 2019, but was unable to ensure his party retained power in 2023. Kwankwaso, having consolidated in the NNPP, got his pound of flesh by ensuring his party won the governorship poll, even though the election outcome is in dispute at the court.

The rivalry between Kwankwaso and Ganduje has since spilled into Tinubu’s villa as the latter, sensing the former’s renewed political romance with the president, pulled a masterstroke to emerge the APC national chairman, hence sealing any hopes of a Tinubu/Kwankwaso political deal. However, Kwankwaso is one of the 1999 set of governors to produce his successor in two election cycles.


Oshiomhole vs Obaseki (Edo)

Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, in 2018, campaigned and fought a tough battle for the incumbent, Godwin Obaseki, to succeed him.

Obaseki was Oshiomhole’s ace, having served as the chairman of the Edo State Economic Team.

But after the relationship broke down, the battle between the two was fierce, consuming members of the State House of Assembly.

The peak of the battle was when Oshiomhole, as APC national chairman, leveraged his influence to disqualify Obaseki during the APC primaries. Obaseki fired back by initiating Oshiomhole’s suspension at the ward level. Obaseki however moved to the PDP and won re-election.


Imoke vs Ayade (Cross River)

In 2015, former Governor Liyel Imoke supported then Senator Ben Ayade to emerge governor. Not long after, Ayade, in trying to push his influence within the party, was resisted by forces loyal to Imoke.

Ayade eventually left the PDP and joined the APC. It is worthy to note that Imoke had also fought his predecessor, Donald Duke shortly after he took over, forcing the latter to abandon politics in the state for a long while.


Akume, Suswan, Ortom saga (Benue)

The serving secretary to the government of the federation, Senator George Akume, ensured that Senator Gabriel Suswam became his successor in 2007.

As the pattern goes, they both clashed, ultimately leading to Akume’s exit from the PDP to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Although Suswam secured his second term in 2011, Akume prevailed in 2015 when he supported Samuel Ortom to emerge governor on the platform of the APC.

Like in the case of Suswam, Ortom, months after, fell out with Akume and later dumped the APC for the PDP where he had served as a national officer before moving to the APC.

Akume, however, made another rebound in 2023 by yet again helping to produce the incumbent governor, Hyacinth Alia. Hence, he is one of the few governors of the 1999 set that has produced three governors and stopped incumbents from producing their successors.


Sheriff vs Shettima (Borno)

Former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff supported current vice president, Senator Kashim Shettima to become governor in 2011.

Shettima had served as commissioner for local government and later as finance commissioner in the Sheriff’s administration. But not long after the latter became governor he fell out with his predecessor. The rivalry was so intense that Sheriff left the APC and joined the PDP. But Shettima was able to serve out his constitutionally guaranteed two terms and produced his successor, incumbent governor, Babagana Zulum.


Egwu v Elechi (Ebonyi)

At the end of his tenure as governor, Senator Sam Egwu picked Martins Elechi as his successor and he followed through with it. But the political arrangement was not to last long as a cold war soon emerged between them which saw the shrinking of Egwu’s influence to just his senatorial district where he was able to win elections. Egwu however got his pound of flesh in 2015 when he teamed up with other stakeholders to stop Elechi from producing his successor. The current minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, who became the beneficiary of the tussle, would later clash with Egwu and produce his successor and incumbent governor, Francis Nwifuru.


Selfish Politics Behind Governors, Predecessors’ Fight – CSOs

Meanwhile, civil society organisations (CSOs) have attributed selfish politics as being the motivating factor behind the culture of crisis between governors and their predecessors.

According to the CSOs, the impact of the crisis between the governors and their predecessors have been so vicious to the states and the society at large adding that such crises impede development.

To this end, CSOs have called on Nigerians to rise up against such politics adding that they must take over the polity and decide who governs them.

The CSOs who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday are Transparency International (TI), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG).

Speaking through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, the CSOs said if the politicians understand and appreciate the fact that democracy is about the people, good governance and transparent leadership they will not support candidates while having an ulterior motive.

“If Nigerians begin to work against any politician that supports candidates with ulterior motives, Nigeria will move forward.

“These crises are happening because of commercialisation of politics. The governors who dictate the people that come to power think they can still control how the resources of the states are spent,” the CSOs said, adding that the desperation to loot the state resources is the reason the governors and their predecessors are fighting.

“The outgoing governors feel it must continue the way they were doing it before. Once the new person comes, they want to continue.

“Also, they are fighting because of the political arrangement they made in the past, not based on a political manifesto. These agreements are not always for the interest of the people,” Rafsanjani said.

According to him, there is no way someone will run the government rather than the person elected, adding that such differences always bring fight.

“If we understand that democracy is about the people, they will be fighting because they will know that in another election, they will all be voted out.

“The outgoing governors did not allow a transparent process but they put the people they will manipulate. This is the reason for the continued fight,” the CSOs added.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has directed banks to commence the deduction of the sum of N50 as electronic money transfer levy (ETML) from foreign currency (FCY) transactions.

The EMTL is a single, one-off charge of N50 on electronic receipt or transfer of money deposited in any commercial money bank or financial institution on any type of account on sums of N10,000 and above.

Revenue derived from the EMTL is shared among the three tiers of government by the federation account allocation committee (FAAC).

In separate emails banks sent to customers, FIRS said the directive follows the implementation of section 48 of the Finance Act of 2020, and section 89a (1) of the Stamp Duty Act of 2004.

The agency also asked financial institutions to apply the deductions on foreign currency transactions executed from January 1, 2021 (when the Finance Act became effective) to December 2023.


ACCESS, FIRST, POLARIS BANKS BEGIN COMPLIANCE

In compliance with the directive, Access Bank said the EMTL deduction on international transactions in arrears of three years (2021 to 2023) will commence from January 31, 2024.

“Previously, the Electronic Money Transfer Levy was solely applicable to accounts receiving electronic deposits of N10,000 and above or its equivalent. However, starting January 2, 2024, the deduction will be extended to FCY inflows equivalent of N10,000 and above, incurring a charge of N50 (FCY equivalent),” Access said in a notice.

“In compliance with this notice, outstanding Electronic Money Transfer Levy on FCY inflows from January 2021 to December 2023 are also to be deducted by January 31, 2024.”

Similarly, Polaris Bank also announced that compliance with FIRS’ directive would begin from January 2, 2024, noting that the funds will be remitted to the federal government.

Polaris told customers that deductions of N50 would also be made on previous FCY transactions that were executed over the aforementioned three years period.

First Bank also informed customers about the development, stating that the levy would be imposed on “recipients of any electronic receipts or transfers of N10,000 or above on any type of account”.

“This deduction will commence immediately and will be remitted to the FIRS as mandated by regulatory authorities,” First Bank said.

“Furthermore, the FIRS has instructed the deduction of the EMTL on qualifying transactions processed from January 2021 to the last week of December 2023. This will also be remitted accordingly.”

Other commercial banks, such as Stanbic IBTC, Union Bank, and the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), recently announced the implementation of the policy.

President Bola Tinubu aims to achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2026.

On November 20, 2023, Wale Edun, the minister of finance, said the streamlining and widening of the tax net is paramount in achieving the government’s revenue goals.

Edun, addressing lawmakers at the lower chamber of the national assembly on December 12, 2023, called for a centralised revenue collection system which the FIRS will spearhead.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) disclosed on Friday that it intercepted combat-ready Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, alongside military hardware.

Speaking to reporters in his office regarding the command’s activities in 2023, the Customs Area Controller, Compt. Charles Orbih, also revealed that the command generated N30.5 billion in revenue between January and December 2023.

Compt. Orbih said that in addition to the combat drone’s specifications—equipped with first aid box space, weapon storage, and capable of 70 hours of flight—another 154 drones were either seized or detained by the command.

He further stressed that these drones lacked the essential End User Certificate (EUC) from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and exceeded the allowed specifications for entry into the country.

He said, “While the country allows drones of up to 250 grammes, this combat drone weighs about 5,000 grammes. With a flight capacity of over 70 hours and space for weapon handling, it can be utilized as a weapon of war and it lacks the essential EUC from the National Security Adviser (NSA).”

The Customs CAC also revealed that the revenue generated in 2023 exceeded its yearly target by 5 per cent, reaching N30.5 billion from imports.

He said, “The Muritala Mohammed International Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has collected the sum of N30.5 billion as revenue from 1st January to 31st December 2023. The revenue collected exceeded the revenue target given to the Command by the NCS Headquarters of N29.14 billion with a total sum of N1.35 billion which implies that the Command surpassed its revenue target by 5% for the year under review.

“A comparative analysis of the revenue collected for the corresponding year 2022 of N20.89 billion which revealed a 46% increase in total revenue collection with a difference of N9.6 billion. Since my assumption of office in the Command, it is worthy to note that the Command has consecutively surpassed its monthly target from September to December 2023 as represented in the total revenue collected within the period under review.”

The CAC also detailed the seizure of 330 military and other security wares, 126 walkie-talkies, and their accessories.

He said, “According to Section 245 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 which empowers a Customs Officer to seize and detain prohibited goods, the Command also made 125 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N801.56 million for the year 2023.

“The items intercepted include 89 Seized Drones; 66 Drones Detained; 330 Military and other Security Wares; 700 rolls of Cigarettes each containing 10 packs;126 Walkie Talkies and their Accessories; 87 pieces of Artifacts and Antiquities; 22 pieces of Elephant Tusks; $10,000 counterfeit notes handed over to Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and $8,800 concealed in an album.

“Other seizures include 300 pieces of lady’s footwear, 2 bags of Precious stones and other numerous items; three suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures. While investigation is ongoing, they will be charged to court as soon as it is completed.”

“The commitment and diligence of the officers and men of the Command and other Units including the Valuation Unit, Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) and the Customs Police enabled seamless operation of carrying out these enormous tasks.”

BY IDRIS SHEHU


On Wednesday, MultiChoice Group revealed that it had failed to acquire the broadcasting rights for the African Cup Of Nations (AFCON).

The broadcast powerhouse said its SuperSport channel is unlikely to show the competition billed to commence on January 13 in Ivory Coast.

Super Eagles will play the host country, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau in Group A — and Nigerian football fans had hoped to watch the competition live on SuperSport.

With less than ten days to the tournament, the news by MultiChoice has hurt the viewing options of many football fans in sub-Saharan African countries.

MultiChoice, through DStv and GOtv, has over 23 million subscribers across 50 African countries. The company remains one of Africa’s biggest broadcast powerhouses with a lengthy history of consistently broadcasting continental football competitions.


HOW THEN DID MULTICHOICE FAIL TO SECURE BROADCASTING RIGHTS?

In December 2023, CAF announced a “historic media rights agreement” with New World TV, a Togolese audio-visual group, to broadcast all the federation’s 13 competitions to the sub-Saharan African audience for two years.

Patrice Motsepe, CAF president, described the contract as “the biggest investment by a Pan-African broadcaster in CAF’s history”.

The deal, which will hold from 2023-2025, encompasses the forthcoming AFCON and the tournament’s next edition.

According to SABC, the broadcast contract is worth R1.5 billion or $80 million.

The deal means that any TV station that intends to broadcast the tournaments would have to go through New World TV, effectively knocking MultiChoice out of the race.


WHAT IS NEW WORLD TV?

New World TV is a broadcast company founded in 2015 in Lome, the capital of Togo. The company has Free-to-Air (FTA) and Pay TV licences and is active in over 16 African countries — mainly Francophone nations.

However, in March 2021, the broadcast company from a tiny West African country with a gross domestic product (GDP) of just $8 billion stunned the world when it acquired the rights to broadcast the Qatar 2022 World Cup in Francophone countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The company also secured the 2023 Women’s World Cup and the 2024/2028 European Championships rights.

According to The Africa Report, New World TV is run by a Paris-based team headed by Kolani Nimonka, the company’s general manager.

There are reports that the Togolese government backs the company. The claims began after the government reportedly provided logistical and security support when New World TV brought several football stars like Emmanuel Petit, Marcel Desailly, and Emmanuel Adebayor to the country for a two-day workshop in September 2023.

However, New World TV refuted the reports. The company said it is being backed by local banks in Togo.


THE LIMITATIONS OF NEW WORLD TV

For all its ambition and financial muscle, New World TV is still in its infancy regarding audience reach across Africa. Its operation is still limited to 19 Francophone countries across the continent.

New World TV had a little over 100,000 subscribers in mid-2022. The number pales in comparison to the cross-continental spread of MultiChoice, Canal+ and BeIn.

There were also reports that the company suffered cyberattacks during its 2022 FIFA World Cup broadcast.

Due to its limited audience reach, New World TV would be looking to sub-licence the AFCON broadcast rights to Free-To-Air stations in African countries and Pay TV platforms.


WHERE CAN WE WATCH AFCON THEN?

Except for audiences in Francophone countries, no other Pay TV provider has announced plans to air the forthcoming AFCON.

There are reports that MultiChoice is still in talks with New World TV over sublicencing for English-speaking countries, but the details or stage of the deal remain candlestine.

On January 2, StarTimes Kenya announced that it would be airing the competition.

“AFCON 2023 will be live on StarTimes! Which team are you supporting to win the title? You can watch ALL AFCON matches live on StarTimes sports channels or stream via the StarTimes ON mobile app starting Jan 13!” the company said on Instagram.

A source close to StarTimes Nigeria told TheCable that the broadcast service will air the competition in Nigeria. He added that StarTimes had struck a sublicencing deal with New World TV, and an official announcement would be made soon.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has identified at least 58 illegal universities or satellite campuses operating in Nigeria, warning that Certificates obtained from the institutions will not be recognised for the purposes of compulsory one-year national service, employment, and further studies.

Acting executive secretary of NUC, Chris Maiyaki, disclosed this on Wednesday when he spoke with Channels Television in Abuja, saying that some arrests have been made in connection with the fake institutions.

Maiyaki said the Department of State Services (DSS) was involved in the clampdown on the illegal institutions and their promoters.

The NUC secretary urged parents and guardians to check the commission’s website for legal and illegal universities in Nigeria so that their children and wards don’t fall victims.

The revelations followed the suspension of degree certificates from two francophone West African countries and other countries after an undercover journalist detailed how he acquired a degree from a university in the neighbouring Benin Republic under two months and was subsequently deployed for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

Also, in a public announcement by the Commission signed by the acting executive secretary of NUC where the fake institutions were listed, Maiyaki said that in addition to their closure, other nine institutions/campuses, which he described as “Degree Mills”, were undergoing further investigations and/or ongoing court actions.

He noted that the purpose of the actions was to prosecute the proprietors and recover illegal fees and charges on subscribers.

They include; National University of Nigeria, Keffi, Nasarawa State: North Central University, Otukpo, Benue State; Christ Alive Christian Seminary and University, Enugu; Richmond Open University, Arochukwu, Abia State;
West Coast University, Umuahia; Saint Clements University, lyin Ekiti, Ekiti State; Volta University College, Aba, Abia State; Illegal Satellite Campuses of Ambrose Alli University, and L.I.F.E Leadership University, Benin City, Edo State.

“For the avoidance of doubt, anybody who patronises or obtains any certificate from any of these illegal institutions does so at his or her own risk.

“Certificates obtained from these sources will not be recognised for the purposes of NYSC, employment, and further studies,” Maiyaki warned.

See Full List of Illegal Universities/Campuses Below:

1. University of Accountancy and Management Studies, operating anywhere in Nigeria.
2. Christians of Charity American University of Science & Technology, Nkpor, Anambra State or any ofits other campuses
3. University of Industry, Yaba, Lagos or any of its other campuses
4. University of Applied Sciences & Management, Port Novo, Republic of Benin or any of its other campuses in Nigeria
5. Blacksmith University, Awka or any of its other campuses
6. Volta University College, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana or any of its other campuses in Nigeria
7. Royal University Izhia, P.O. Box 800, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State or any ofits other campuses
8. Atlanta University, Anyigba, Kogi State or any of its other campuses
9. United Christian University, Macotis Campus, Imo State or any of its other campuses.
10. United Nigeria University College, Okija, Anambra State or any of its other campuses.

11. Samuel Ahmadu University, Makurdi, Benue State or any of its other campuses.
12. UNESCO University, Ndoni, Rivers State or any of its other campuses.
13. Saint Augustine’s University of Technology, Jos, Plateau State or any of its other campuses
14. The International University, Missouri, USA, Kano and Lagos Study Centres, or any of its campuses in Nigeria
15. Collumbus University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria
16. Tiu International University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria
17. Pebbles University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria
18. London External Studies UK operating anywhere in Nigeria.
19. Pilgrims University operating anywhere in Nigeria.
20. Lobi Business School Makurdi, Benue State or any of its campuses in Nigeria.

21. West African Christian University operating anywhere in Nigeria.
22. Bolta University College Aba or any of its campuses in Nigeria.
23. JBC Seminary Inc. (Wukari Jubilee University) Kaduna IllegalCampus
24. Westlan University, Esie, Kwara State or any of its campuses in Nigeria.
25. St. Andrews University College, Abuja or any of its campuses in Nigeria.
26. EC-Council University, USA, Ikeja Lagos Study Centre.
27. Atlas University, Ikot Udoso Uko, Uyo Akwa Ibom State or any of its campuses in Nigeria
28. Concept College/Universities (London) Ilorin or any of its campuses in Nigeria
29. Halifax Gateway University, Ikeja or any of its campuses in Nigeria
30. Kingdom of Christ University, Abuja or any of its campuses in Nigeria

31. Acada University, Akinlalu, Oyo State or any of its campuses in Nigeria.
32. Fifom University, Mbaise, Imo State or any of its campuses in Nigeria
33. Houdegbe North American University campuses in Nigeria.
34. Atlantic Intercontinental University, Okija, Anambra State
35. Open International University, Akure
36. Middle Belt University (North Central University), Otukpo
37. Leadway University, Ughelli, Delta State
38. Metro University, Dutse/Bwari, Abuja
39. Southend University, Ngwuro Egeru (Afam) Ndoki, Rivers State

40. Olympic University, Nsukka, Enugu State
41. Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Abuja.
42. Temple University, Abuja
43. Irish University Business School London, operating anywhere in Nigeria.
44. National University of Technology, Lafia, Nasarawa State.
45. University of Accountancy and Management Studies, Mowe, Lagos – Ibadan Expressway and its Annex at 41, Ikorodu Road, Lagos.
46. University of Education, Winneba Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria.
47. Cape Coast University, Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria.
48. African University Cooperative Development (AUCD), Cotonou, Benin Republic, operating anywhere in Nigeria.
49. Pacific Western University, Denver, Colorado, Owerri Study

50. Evangel University of America & Chudick Management Academic, Lagos
51. Enugu State University of Science and Technology (Gboko Campus)
52. Career Light Resources Centre, Jos
53. University of West Africa, Kwali-Abuja, FCT
54. Coastal University, Iba-Oku, Akwa-Ibom State
55. Kaduna Business School, Kaduna
56. Royal University of Theology, Minna, Niger State
57. West African Union University, in Collaboration with International Professional College of Administration, Science and Technology Nigeria, operating anywhere in Nigeria.
58. Gospel Missionary Foundation (GMF), Theological University. 165 Iselo road, Cele bus stop, Egbe-Ikotun, Lagos.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has tracked N30 billion of the N44 billion moved from the accounts of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).

The multiple accounts to which the funds were moved by some NSIPA officials have been frozen by the anti-graft agency as part of an ongoing probe.

It was learnt that the N44 billion was suspiciously moved from NSIPA’s accounts into private and corporate accounts linked to those serving as fronts.

Some of the officials of the agency have been undergoing investigation.

For hours yesterday, EFCC interrogators grilled the suspended National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the agency, Halima Shehu.

The anti-graft commission also arrested NSIPA’s immediate past Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA), Mr. Bwai Adamu Hamza.

Hamza retired from the agency in December.

Shehu and Hamza were subjected to interrogation yesterday by a special team.

Former Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, failed to honour the EFCC invitation to appear for interrogation.

She also did not send any message on why she did not turn up.

Officials designated to interrogate her waited in vain.

The EFCC invited Umar-Farouq over the alleged laundering of N37, 170,855,753.44 during her tenure through a contractor, James Okwete. The former minister denied the allegations.

There were strong indications last night that having failed to turn up without explanation, the former minister might be declared wanted by the EFCC.

Investigations showed that the ongoing probe of NSIPA assumed a new dimension following the discovery that the total cash taken out of the agency’s vaults was N44 billion.

But, after tracking the movement of the cash, the EFCC recovered and froze the N30 billion it traced to multiple accounts.

As of Tuesday, the agency had intercepted and seized N17 billion.

Within 24 hours, the commission traced and froze an additional N13 billion in some accounts, raising the cash seized to N30 billion.

Detectives were still profiling many accounts last night to uncover the balance of N14 billion.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said the EFCC Executive Chairman. Mr. Ola Olukoyede was personally leading the probe.

The source said: “After hours of interrogation and profiling of many accounts, the EFCC was able to confirm that unauthorised N44 billion was suspiciously moved out of NSIPA’s account to some private and corporate accounts.

Read Also: EFCC to probe former minister Farouk Sadiya over alleged N37bn fraud
“So far, N30billion has been traced to some accounts and frozen.

“Our operatives are on the trail of the owners and alleged fronts or firms used to siphon the cash.

“Records showed that the N44 billion was hurriedly moved out of NSIPA’s account in one week.”

As of press time, the EFCC had arrested Hamza in connection with the action.

According to the investigation, Hamza, who retired on December 29, was picked up to clarify the movement of the cash under his watch.

Shehu and Hamza were said to have “worked closely” in the agency.

Another source said: “The National Coordinator and the ex-DFA were grilled by our investigating team for hours on Wednesday. Halima was taken into custody on Tuesday while Hamza was arrested yesterday.

“Based on the new focus of the EFCC chairman, Halima was, on compassionate ground, allowed to go home at about 11pm on Tuesday. She reported for another round of interaction yesterday.

“For Hamza, the EFCC arrested him following intelligence that he might travel out of the country for an engagement.”

The source added: “The two persons have made useful statements and we have recovered some records which enabled us to trace and freeze N30 billion. For a long time, the two officials have been working together.

“Immediately Hamza retired, Halima appointed him as a Special Adviser on Finance. He was expected to resume work on Tuesday.

“Our team is, however, working round the clock to uncover the accounts where the remaining N14 billion was hidden.”

On Umar-Farouq’s connection with the matter, her accuser, Okwete was in EFCC’s custody yesterday awaiting her arrival for a face-to-face interrogation.

“We will give her some grace and if she does not honour our invitation, the EFCC will have no choice but to declare the ex-minister wanted.”

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it did not clash with any party over petrol subsidy removal.

Media reports, on Wednesday morning, had said the national oil company clashed with oil marketers over whether the federal government was paying subsidy on petrol or otherwise.

In a terse statement shared with TheCable, the oil firm denied having such a fallout with oil marketers.

“The publication sought confirmation on alleged subsidy reduction, to which NNPC responded that subsidy has been entirely removed,” Olufemi Soneye, NNPC’s chief corporate communications officer, said.

In his inauguration speech in May 2023, President Bola Tinubu had announced that “petrol subsidy is gone”.

However, the full implementation of the policy has been mired in doubts, with the World Bank arguing that the subsidy removal was partial.

But on October 9, 2023, Mele Kyari, NNPC’s group chief executive officer (GCEO), said the federal government was not making any under-recovery payments.

He had also said the national oil company was recovering its full cost from imported products.

“No subsidy whatsoever. We are recovering our full cost from the products that we import. We sell to the market,” Kyari said.

“We understand why marketers are unable to import. We hope that they begin to do so very quickly and these are some of the interventions government is making. There is no subsidy.”

On October 21, 2023, Tinubu had said the removal of subsidy on petrol was imperative to prevent Nigeria’s collapse.

BY DESMOND OKON


Weeks after the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said it generated N56 billion and remitted only N22.4 billion to the federation account in 2022, the federal government has issued a circular directing “automatic” 50 percent remittance of the total revenue of all its self-funded enterprises.

It is unclear if the two events are related, but a presidency source told TheCable the reform was “long overdue”.

Previously, self-funded agencies, also called “Super Agencies”, were allowed to claim up to 50 percent of their revenue as expenditure and keep 20 percent of the balance as “operating surplus” — the excess of revenue over expenditure.

“Super Agencies” — so called because of the enormous financial resources at their disposal — keep a combined total of over N1 trillion annually from the revenues collected by them.

Although they receive no budgetary allocation from the federal government, questions have been raised over the huge sums they retain — with some agencies getting more than the legislative and judicial arms of government.

Some of the major agencies affected are the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

Waziri Adio, executive director of Agora Policy, the respected public policy think-tank based in Abuja, recently raised an issue with the funding arrangement, warning that “these cash-saturated agencies become founts of mind-blowing profligacy and sleazy vehicles for patronage and rent-extraction. A variant of Parkinson’s Law states that expenditure always rises to meet income. In short: more money in this form leads to more expenses, not more sense. And this is exactly what happens to these agencies.”


IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION

The implementation of the new order followed a presidential directive, according to a circular from the ministry of finance, dated December 28, 2023.

The directive was sequel to a similar circular dated December 20, 2021, addressing agencies’ revenue remittances to the consolidated revenue fund (CRF).

The 2021 circular had asked all self-funded federal government agencies and parastatals to remit only 80 percent of the 50 percent accruable to the sub-recurrent account (SRA), allowing such agency to retain 20 percent in its general reserve as operating surpluses.

This means that if 50 percent of an agency’s total revenue is N20 million, N16 million (80 percent) will go to the SRA. The remaining N4 million (20 percent) will be kept in the agency’s general reserve.

However, issuing fresh guidelines for implementation in the latest circular, the finance ministry directed agencies and parastatals to remit 50 percent of their gross internally generated revenue (IGR) to the SRA — a sub-component of the CRF.

While there was no mention of accruals into the general reserve of agencies, the deductions will also be implemented on all statutory revenue lines like tender fees, contractor’s registration, sales of government assets, TheCable understands.

In addition, the finance ministry said all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) that are fully funded through the federal government budget and on the schedule of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, should “remit one hundred percent (100%)” of their IGR to the SRA.

“All partially funded Federal Government Agencies/Parastatals (receiving capital or overhead allocation from the Federal Government Budget) should remit fifty percent (50%) of their gross Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), while all statutory revenue like tender fees, contractor’s registration, sales of government assets etc should be remitted one hundred percent (100%) to the Sub-Recurrent Account,” the finance ministry added.

According to the circular, the deductions will be implemented in the accounts of 68 agencies listed under the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007.


NEW ACCOUNTS FOR AGENCIES

For effective implementation, the office of the accountant-general of the federation (OAGF) was instructed to open new treasury single accounts (TSA) for all the agencies listed in the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

According to the finance ministry, the TSA sub-accounts currently operated and maintained by the agencies for receiving revenue from the public shall be blocked from access, and placed under the full control of Wale Edun, the minister of finance and co-ordinating minister of the economy and the accountant-general of the federation.

It was also learnt that the new accounts shall be credited with inflows in the “old accounts based on the new policy implementation of 50 percent auto deduction in line with Finance Act,2020 and Finance Circular, 2021, 50% cost to revenue ratio”.

“The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), subject to the categorization of Agencies shall map and automatically effect direct deduction of 50% (fifty percent) on gross revenue of Self/partially funded Agency/Parastatals and 100% (one hundred percent) for fully funded Agencies/ Parastatals as interim remittance of amount due to the Consolidated Revenue Fund,” circular reads.

The federal government said the move is meant to improve revenue generation, fiscal discipline, accountability and transparency in the management of government financial resources and prevention of waste and inefficiencies.

While this may be unsavoury for the agencies, the deductions may be applauded by pundits who believe some agencies generate too much money than they may need.

For instance, in the 2024 budget of government enterprises, NPA projects N538 billion in revenue, and an expenditure of N349 billion, with a CRF remittance of N149 billion (28 percent). NUPRC expects to generate N232 billion but is billed to remit only N2 billion (0.88 percent).

The CAC, on the other hand, projects a N28 billion revenue, a CRF transfer of N11 billion (40 percent), and an expenditure of N14 billion. Similarly, the NMDPRA said it will rake in N212 billion and transfer only N84 billion (40 percent) to the CRF.

Analysts view such humongous revenue generation by agencies as problematic and often counter-productive as some organisations tend to prioritise money at the expense of their core mandates or impose unnecessary costs on businesses which could undermine national competitiveness.


‘DEAFULTING ACCOUNT OFFICERS WILL BE PUNISHED’

The effective implementation of the deduction means that agencies will have just enough revenue to fund their expenditures as the federal government will now collect the excess.

Therefore, the ministry urged all accounting officers, directors of finance and accounts, directors of internal audit, heads of accounts and heads of internal audit units of MDAs “to give this circular the widest circulation and ensure strict compliance”.

The ministry also said it would partner with the OAGF on appropriate disciplinary actions and sanctions against “defaulting accounting officers of agencies/parastatals found culpable of violating the contents of this Finance Circular and in accordance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act”